The Path of Perfection

As I walk my path of life, if I am humbly seeking the help of my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, I can always count on tender mercies being showered upon me.  They often come in the most unexpected ways.  I try to read each Ensign cover to cover.  The other day I almost skipped an article in the April Ensign because it didn't apply to me; it was entitled "Faith and Infertility."  But it was about healing, and no matter what our afflictions and trials are in life, we are all in need of healing...whether physical or spiritual or temporal or mental...the following quotes apply to everyone:

"It's important to continue to trust the Lord, even when what is happening isn't what we want.  Sometimes having faith means trusting in and listening to the Lord even when we are not cured.  What we want won't always match what He has planned for us."

"When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as a result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened.  But for those who aren't healed, but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected.  The first is a faith-promoting experience.  The second is a faith-perfecting.  We're not being punished, we're being refined."

"When our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said 'Go...and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.'" (Alma 26:27)

"What we might plan for our life would pale in comparison to what God plans for us...better than anything we could ever design."

"Do everything in your power, but ultimately turn it over to Him.  If you're humble enough to follow the plan He has for you, you'll be happy."

Brother Allred said in his book, "Be true to yourself.  Honor your righteous desires to do what is right.  Let humility show in all your relationships, and the Holy Ghost will speak to your spirit and heal you.  The Holy Ghost will guide you to all truth, including ways to find peace and healing power in spite of adversity." (referenced to Moroni 10:5)

We can, as one of my favorite and most comforting scriptures assures "cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of the Lord and for His arm to be revealed."

Brother Allred also said, "The Holy Ghost will direct you into paths and avenues leading to your desired blessing.  Be in tune and follow those sudden strokes of ideas and feelings.  Miracles happen when you learn to follow the promptings from the Lord."

He also said as we are taught and led, to share the faith and strength of your testimonies.  In Mosiah chapter 24 a very righteous people were brought under the yoke of bondage from their enemies.  Their persecution was so great that they began to cry mightily unto their God day and night.  Then they were threatened to be put to death should they be heard to pray.  But nothing could stop them from praying in their hearts.  And the Lord heard them and said,

"Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witness for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." 

(Mosiah 24:13-17)

The Lord may not take the pain out of us, but He can always take us out of the pain where we will be at peace with an insurmountable level of understanding.  We must taste the bitter in order to know the sweet.

The path is perfect.

Synergy

I've been thinking A LOT about this word.

It means the interaction of two or more agents or elements or forces so that their total combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects; the cooperative action of two or more; action of two agents that increase each others effectiveness.

Now think of that in terms of spiritual synergy.

Brother Allred said, "When you meet others who love the Lord as you do, you feel a spiritual synergy in which the relationship's power is greater than the sum of the two separate parts because the Holy Spirit is present and lends it's blessing."

President Lorenzo Snow said,  "...We have got to be inspired by the same spirit and the same kind of knowledge, in order that we may love one another and be of one heart and one mind."

When Jesus Christ was accused of casting out devils in the name of the devil He said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  ..if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you...He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."  Matthew 12:25-30

Jesus Christ is the total sum of synergism.  Without Him we are nothing.  He gives us every power that we have to act, to be, to do, to go.  The Savior said to take his yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29)...His yoke is synergy!  We can do way more when we take His yoke upon us than we can trying to go it alone.

It would be nice if all relationships had spiritual synergy, but they don't.  Just like Jesus said, that kingdoms, cities and houses would be divided in mortality.  So it is.  We sometimes have to learn to live without synergy in our relationships...it is probably more rare than common to have it.  Much depends on where we are in loving the Lord.

When we love the Lord with all our heart we have a true spirit--the spirit of the Holy Ghost which is love, joy, and peace.  We can be guided through that spirit to find ways to have peace and healing powers in spite of adversity.

Heavenly Father works with us in a fallen world.  We can reach out and receive His grace--an enabling power and strength--that will empower our life, that will sanctify our relationships, and heal our mind, heart and body.

Brother Allred said to balance God's grace with your efforts in working through problems.  His enabling power comes to us all along the way.

Bruce R. McConkie said, "Only persons who are in tune with the Infinite can exercise the spiritual forces and powers that come from Him...they must be willing to lay their all on the altar of the Almighty."

Synergy.
We can't make it without Him.

Nothing at all is Possible without Faith

We cannot even please God without faith. 

Faith is so pervasive...so spreading through and through...so all-encompassing.  No wonder it is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  No wonder it is the underlying principle of all truth and power.  No wonder Jesus Christ is the epitome of faith.

Faith is a motivating force.

An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder David A. Bednar, has a mantra he often refers to in his talks; "to act and not be acted upon."  This is faith.  This is what Brother Allred teaches in his book about unlocking that power of faith--using what we have been given, that it can become stronger and better, and by doing so make us stronger and better, in character, in actions, in living our religion.

Faith needs hope.  Faith needs charity.  Faith needs patience.  Faith needs diligence.  Faith needs courage and fortitude.  Faith needs knowledge and experience.  Faith needs integrity.  Faith needs virtue.

Faith is light.  Faith is truth.  Faith is knowledge.  Faith is power.  Faith is obedience.  Faith is repentance.  Faith is forgiveness. 

Faith heals....

...which is what this blog is all about.  Faith gives you the ability to believe in yourself, to believe in God, to believe in others.

 There is no end to learning or understanding faith.

When we obtain any blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.  We must obey that law by which faith operates if we are to receive our desired blessing...like faith to be healed.

As the scripture (D&C 123:17) says, cheerfully do all that lies in your power (or in other words your faith) and then wait patiently for the Lord to send the promises and the blessings.  They will come!  He is aware of you and I.  He is helping us along the way.  He is making something splendid of us!

Joseph Smith said that all the injustices experienced in this life will be made up in the resurrection provided we continue faithfully.  As you seek to keep the commandments you will find important healing treasures (God will lead you to what you need to help you, or He will strengthen you to bear it) that will bless your life and the lives of others.  Walking in obedience reaps the blessings of "health in the navel and marrow to the bones...finding wisdom & great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures (things you would never see otherwise)."  D&C 89:18-20

To have faith is to understand that all things will work out for the highest good of all concerned.

Faith is accepting what is happening in our life.

Insecurity...the Real Bad Guy

I love what Brother Allred had to say on this.  I have struggled with this all my life.  It kind of goes along with all those fears we have to battle and contend with as we go through life.  We all have one kind or another.

Insecurity is the source of distress and all counterproductive behavior.  It's symptoms are painful memories, negative emotions, habit patterns, and bad communication. 

This is one of my favorite things he said in the whole book.  It reverbeates truth through every fiber of my being:

"The greatest mindset we can master is being a son or daughter of God.  The greatest thought system involves Jesus Christ."

"Know the truth and the truth will make you free."  John 8:32

As we learn the truth about Christ's healing powers we are no longer subject to insecurity!  There can be peace in spite of difficulties--there is growth potential in adversity.

There are so many amazing and wonderful scriptures about the Master Healer Jesus Christ.  He can heal us of any infirmity.  We need only believe, and even when our faith is lacking He can help us increase our faith. 

"Lord, increase my faith." Luke 17:5

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  Mark 9:24

"Be not afraid, only believe."  Mark 5:36

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  Mark 9:23

"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  Matt 14:31

Planting Roses

Planting roses in our garden of life is having hope through God's point of view of us.  Pull up the weeds and plant roses in the garden of your thoughts and thus your life.  Pulling weeds eliminates non-productive thoughts and mental images that keep you from the vision of things as they really are.  Planting roses is receiving light and knowledge from the heavens which empower you with the Lord's view of things.  Faith helps you see colors in more vivid hues.  God's way is health and happiness.  Your faith empowers you with hope and charity...the three sister virtues.  (These thoughts were from Brother Allred's book, Unlocking the Power of Faith.)

Rhonda Byrne said, "How do I stop my negative thoughts?...a question I have been asked many times; the answer is simple.  You PLANT good thoughts.  The stop part is irrelevant--the negative thoughts are your focus.  The truth is always simple and it is always easy.  ...just plant good thoughts!  Deliberately plant them!  You plant good thoughts by making it a daily practice to appreciate all the things in your day.  Compliment, praise, and give thanks to all things.  What you focus on you attract.  If you spend only one day speaking of good things and saying 'Thank you' at every single opportunity, you will not believe your tomorrow.  Your planted good seeds will transform into a garden of paradise....your life!

President David O. McKay used a metaphor about roses:  "Not a few of us have a thorn in the flesh as did Paul.  Perhaps to some of us a dead leaf of some past act is clinging.  It may be that there is a little dirt in our character, but each one has also a rose in his life, a hawthorn twig, or a lily. And it is a glorious lesson for us to learn: to see the rose and be blind to the thorn; to see the hawthorn twig and be blind to the dead leaf; to see the lily and not the dirt in our fellow's character."  (Conference Report, October 1967, p.8)

We grow in two ways: removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers.  I have an earlier post that is also about this same type of metaphor.  It's a beautiful thing to conjure positivity up in your mind as an image of beautiful roses.  How can you not feel good when you see a rose?

Gratitude: The Divine Gift

Gratitude is all-encompassing.

It is a divine gift,
     a commandment,
     a parent virtue,
     a great blessing.

To live with gratitude in our hearts is to touch heaven as
     it invites the Spirit,
     it is becoming,
     it is gracious & honorable,
     generous & noble,
     positive & optimistic.

Gratitude opens our eyes to see what is around us,
     we see our blessings,
     we see His tender mercies,
     we see all that God has done for us,
     we see with an eternal perspective.

Gratitude produces miracles
     keeps us from poverty,
     makes us rich with what we have,
     improves our health,
     enlivens our happiness and well-being.

Gratitude rejoices for that which it has,
     expresses praise,
     lifts us,
     lifts others,
     defeats Satan.

Gratitude brings light by
     chasing out darkness and despair,
     dissolving fear and doubts,
     erasing bitterness and disappointment,
     blocking out negative thoughts and feelings.

Prayer is the key to gratitude.
     humble,
     meek,
     lowly of heart.

Ingratitude is a serious sin,
     it offends the Spirit,
     it is prideful and selfish,
     initiates rebellion, fear & doubt,
     leads us to forget the Lord,
     and keeps us in poverty and misery.

Ingratitude is critical and negative,
     pessimistic and fault-finding,
     complaining and cynical,
     irritable and impatient
     insecure and unhappy.

Gratitude leads us to Jesus Christ,
     it heals us,
     it saves us,
     it cheers us,
     it encourages us,
     it strengthens us.

It is one of the few gifts we can give to Him as we live it.
May our personal lives reflect it,
May it permeate our souls forever more.

(written by me, based on President Thomas S. Monson's Talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude.")
    

Faith Healing

The book "Unlocking the Power of Faith" is all about pain and healing.  It's really all about the Savior, Jesus Christ, whose life mission was to come and heal us.  None of us are whole living in this fallen state.  And yet there is so much to learn from pain.  Someone gave me this poem:

Pain stayed so long I said to him today,
"I will not have you with me anymore."
I stamped my foot and said, "Be on your way."
And paused there, startled at the look he wore.
"I, who have been your friend", he said to me,
"I, who have been your teacher--all you know
Of understanding love, of sympathy,
And patience, I have taught you.  Shall I go?"
He spoke the truth, this strange unwelcomed guest;
I watched him leave and knew that he was wise.
He left a heart grown tender in my breast.
He left a far, clear vision in my eyes.
I dried my tears, and lifted up a song
Even for one who'd tortured me so long.
-Author Unknown

Brother Allred gives two powerful sources of truth to help heal your pain:
1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2) Faith in your own divine nature

I could write pages on faith and healing.  But it all comes down to the simple concept of trusting in the Lord, for His will to be done concerning us.  He will take us through whatever experiences are necessary to help us earn our salvation.  Faith means trust.

Pain and the healing needed come on many different levels, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, too.  Pain comes from regret.  Pain comes through sin and error.  Pain comes from heartaches and sorrow.  Pain can be inflicted on us by others when we have done nothing wrong.

"For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently; but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."  (1 Peter 2:20)

"It is in the balance of God's grace and your own properly focused thoughts that you will experience miracles in your life."  -Garth Allred

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk found in the Ensign 5/10 pg 47.  He made the following remarks concerning faith and healing:
*Healing requires the power of faith.
*Healing must be the Lord's will.
*The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)
*We must do all we can, using the resources available to us medically, as well as a priesthood blessing.
*When a blessing is sealed and anointed it opens the windows of heaven for the Lord to pour forth the blessing He wills for the afflicted person.
*Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven.  We claim our blessings through our faith.
*Faith means trust.

I came across a scripture that has helped me a great deal to keep my faith and trust in God strong:

"...if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly...even all this can ye do, if ye will."  Alma 33:21, 23

As we use our faith, our faith increases.  However, there will be times when we will sink, as did Peter, as he walked to the Savior over the boisterously fierce ocean swells.  What mortal, in their weakness, does not take their eyes off the Savior, if even for a moment, distracted by the trials and adversities of life?  But Peter, aware he was sinking, cried out, "Master, I perish!"  And immediately the Savior reached out and took his hand and lifted him up. 

"Lord, increase my faith." (Luke 17:5)

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  (Mark 9:23)

"Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief."  (Mark 9:24)

"Faith is a force powerful beyond our comprehension."  -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Have faith, and doubt not....it shall be done."  (Matthew 21:21)

"I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."  (Luke 22:32)

"Everything has been accomplished by faith.  Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known."  -President Boyd K. Packer

The Lord can make ways where there appears to be no way.  Have faith.  Expect miracles.

"You are more powerful than you have dreamed.  You have the power within you, when properly directed, to reach out and tap the wonderful healing powers of heaven."  -Garth Allred

Unlocking The POWER of Faith!

Though I have neglected this blog for a while, I have not neglected the pursuit of study on the basic context of this blog, which is to Believe in Yourself, and of the power of thoughts in our life and how they affect our feelings and our actions.

The book "The Secret" was but a small introduction to a powerful new way of living for me.  While that book opened my eyes in a different way to the precepts of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it can empower your life by living by His teachings, I had yet to read one of the best books ever to give me the principles and concepts to help me live in the POSITIVE realm of this life.  And this book was written by one of my own faith, so everything in the book was pure truth for me.

The book is entitled "Unlocking the Powers of Faith" by Garth Allred.  First printing was in 1993 so I'm pretty sure it's out of print, but I found a nice used copy--now well used and loved--online last August.

I found out about this book by reading an article by Darla Isackson on Meredian Magazine called "Warning: Both Over and Under Reacting Can Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health."  I tried to find the link to the article, but was unable to.  I read this in July 2009.  It came about the time the Lord began to lead me on a spiritual journey of healing....healing both physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Today I am still on that journey and learning a lot every day as I continue to study and search and ponder on it.

I was surprised to find just how much this article described me.  I was surprised to learn that I was pretty good at both ends of the over-reacting and under-reacting.  The Lord's mission has been to help me learn to find the balance between these two things in my life.

Jesus Christ is so merciful.  He can find us even in the darkest dungeon of despair and self-pity, and if we let Him, He will lift us out of it and into His light.  His light is filled with truth.  That dark place is full of Satan's lies and deceits.  Why is it so much easier to live on the negative side of life with all it's lies than in the marvelous light of truth?  I guess because we are mortal.

Even though it took over a year later, I did not forget the book that was referenced in that article, and in August of 2010 I had the strongest impressions ever that I needed to get a copy of that book.  I spent about 4 months reading the book and studying it and writing down those statments in the book that most applied to me.  Now I try to read daily from those things that I wrote and I continue to need those words and to live by those words.  While I have made huge strides in positivity, I am not without stumbling or times of regression.

The preface to this book says, in part:
You will learn to develop faith in Jesus Christ to be healed from pain, loneliness, confusion and sorrow--whether emotional, spiritual, or physical--the important healing truths that can strengthen your faith and help you tap your own deep reservoirs of power which will empower you with greater peace and freedom from pain.

And this scripture:
"Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
1 Nephi 1:20

Then Brother Allred says:
This book is my gift to you to help you stop hurting and start healing and begin experiencing the power that comes through healing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in your own divine nature....You are much more powerful than you have dreamed.  You have a divine nature about you that is wonderful, marvelous, and Godlike.  You have the power within you, when properly directed, to reach out and tap the wonderful healing powers of the heavens.  May the Lord bless you in this challenging and rewarding quest.

Can you see the light of truth in his words?  Is this not what God our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ want us to know...to believe?  That light, that truth is Christ's light and truth.

"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  John 8:12

The light of L.I.F.E.

L ight

I s

F or

E ternity

"Come, follow me" to eternal life.
Luke 18:22

Give

I learned to sing a song as a child in Primary called "Give Said the Little Stream." It teaches a great lesson in a simple thought.

Give, said the little stream, give oh give, give oh give!
Give, said the little stream, as it hurried down the hill.
I'm small I know, but wherever I go, the grass grows greener still.
Singing, singing all the day. Give away, oh give away!
Singing, singing all the day. Give oh give away!

This little stream gave everywhere it went, and it gurgled along happily. I saw this saying that fits: "The grass isn't greener on the other side; the grass is greener where you water it!"

I only recently learned about the word philanthropy or philanthropist. Although I now realize I always heard that word in the Wizard of Oz. "A good deed doer." Or, people who live their lives and give large sums of money to help others, they who have a love of mankind. When I read the book "The Secret" (pg.107) it said that some of the wealthiest people on the planet are the greatest philanthropists. They give away vast amounts of money and money floods back to them multiplied. I was greatly intrigued by that. The Law of Attraction claims that giving brings more money and abundance into your life, because when you are giving you are saying, "I have plenty." When you think you don't have enough to give, start giving. The law of attraction then gives you more to give. Giving from a heart that is overflowing feels so good.

But why should I be so intrigued when I've been taught that my whole life in my church?! President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Those who impart of their sustenance to the needy so generously will not lack in their own store and in their own homes, but there will be food on their tables and a roof over their heads. One cannot be merciful to others without receiving a harvest of mercy in return."

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we pay 10% to the Lord on all our increase. In addition, once a month we fast for 24 hours and give the equivalent or more of the cost of 2 meals to the Fast Offering which goes to help the poor. Our church has the greatest welfare system on the face of this earth! Tons of food and supplies are shipped to places all over the world within hours of natural disasters, as well as helping truly needy people every day. Our members donate as they choose to the Church's Humanitarian aid fund. We also have a Perpetual Education fund which helps young people in other countries get an education. They then pay the loans back after they graduate so the money is continuously perpetuated for others to use. Thousands have helped improve the quality of living for themselves and their families through this simple program.

I recently saw an excellent documentary by Bill Whittle on his Afterburner program on PJTV "A Tale of Two Americas." He gave our church's welfare system a glowing tribute. He said if our government had a system like that it would solve a lot of problems in our country (or something to that effect). I loved this whole documentary and was quite moved by those who really do honor our country for what it was meant to be. Some truly give their all.

I really admire the words of author Larry Barkdull. He said, "True greatness is measured by one's ability to give...without giving, there can be no progress, either for individuals or for societies."

In the Book of Mormon there was a Lamanite King who was king over all the land. When he learned of the great love that a Nephite servant of God named Ammon had for his son, King Lamoni, he called unto God saying he would give away all his sins to know Him. (Alma 22:17-18) That king gave his all to the Lord. What he reaped in return was worth more than all his power or worldly possessions. In Matthew 16:25 we learn that "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Over and over we learn the importance of giving, and the value of caring for the poor and the needy.

Service is love, and the "spirit" of service is planted in the hearts of those we help. They, in turn, serve. The army of the Lord's servants grows in this way. (Women's Conference 2001 pg. 68) Giving becomes perpetual.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls." (Ensign 11/08)

I'm learning to understanding the importance of balance. As important as it is to give, we also need to remember to give to ourselves. Women often run faster than they are nearly able, though it is amazing how much a woman can accomplish in a day. But it's important, as Dr. John Gray said, to "take a little time off to give to yourself and in a sense to fill yourself up to fullness, to where now you can overflow in giving."

Praying, scripture study time, pondering in stillness (if it can be found), exercise, eating nutritiously and taking time out to do something you love each day if possible, will give you more confidence to believe in yourself and to have more of yourself to give in good ways.

I realized one day, when the song "Give Said the Little Stream" was running through my head, how connected that song is to forgiving! As we forgive others of their shortcomings, ourselves included, we give water and life to all that is living around us. I think forgiving is the greatest act of giving that we can render. What peace we would have in our world if everyone readily forgave one another. Those living waters are mercy and truly do represent the Living Water of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Which, if one drinks, will never thirst again.

He was the greatest example of giving that ever did and ever will touch the face of this earth. He gave His all. Truly. And because of Him, we have been given all that we have. How could we not think to give back?

I love the idea of giving.

Seeking Simple Joys!

This whole blog is dedicated to believing in yourself.  To do that brings joy, and having joy is to believe in yourself, and to believe in God and His promises.  I posted last December about "Joy in the Journey" and in November of "Happiness and Joy."  Both posts are filled with great quotes and insight into seeking and finding joy.  One thought I posted was,  "We do not remember days, we remember moments.  Think about that.  And it's those moments that are filled with joy and wonder.  Can we be cheerful for a moment?  I bet we can with a conscious effort to create cheerful moments.  Remember, the creation of it is up to us!"

I've quoted a lot of thoughts from Geraldine Edwards from her book Celebrate!  This book is simply full of ways to seek joy and celebrate life!   She gives some simple ideas for seeking simple joys in our lives.  It's something that we should seek to do every day.  They are:

1 - do something each day that you love to do
2- it should cost little or no money
3- it should be something you can do close by
4- something that can be accomplished in an hour or two
5- something that you can do alone or shared with someone else
(from page 68 of her book)

Time is such a precious commodity these days.  I often wonder and worry if I'm using it appropriately or if my choices are pleasing to the Lord.  I was just pondering yesterday on something President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, which was quoted by Julie B. Beck in "Relief Society: A Sacred Work" from the General RS Meeting in the November 2009 Ensign.

She said, "One of the most precious commodities we all have is time. Most women have many responsibilities and never have sufficient time to do everything their hearts and minds want to do. We show respect for the Lord and the sisters when we use...time in an inspired way. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “A wise man once distinguished between ‘the noble art of getting things done’ and ‘a nobler art of leaving things undone.’ True ‘wisdom in life,’ he taught, consists of ‘the elimination of non-essentials.’” President Uchtdorf then asked: “What are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?"

So in seeking out our joys and finding ways to "Celebrate!" life as Jeraldine puts it, and yet eliminating the non-essentials from our life in order to have more time to do the essential things, we just need to organize, prioritize and seek balance in our life.  I really do think that taking time out to seek a simple joy each day is a wise balance of our time.  If we are frantically running around trying to accomplish more than we can humanly do, without taking time for simple joys, we are going to stress out, burn out, and end up accomplishing less.  If bringing joy to ourselves helps us to spread joy to others, what could be better?

At the recent BYU Women's Conference (April 29, 2010) Julie B. Beck talked about how we should try and be at our best in the afternoon part of the day when everyone else is coming home from their day tired and hungry and spent.  If we are tired and spent then, we will not be of much help to them.  [cause when mom is cranky, everyone gets cranky!]  She said, "...part of one's mission on Earth is to choose to serve the Lord, especially through serving one's family.  Taking care of our posterity takes precedence over all other needs....Women today can be a power and influence for good."

She also said that "When our priorities are out of order, we lose power."  We can categorize our priorities into "essential things, necessary things and nice-to-do things."   Essential being to seek personal revelation through scripture study and prayer, temple attendance, etc.  Necessary includes creating an environment where the spirit can dwell, teaching our children, being kind to our husbands, etc.  Nice-to-do are recreation, hobbies, crafts.  These things are nice but cannot save us, she says.  "The ability to seek, receive and act upon personal revelation is the most important skill we can acquire in this life....Education is wonderful, but being able to feel the Lord's power upon us is the ultimate education we can achieve...with that we have power and influence."

So, if we are making time for the essential and necessary, the spirit will be with us, joy will come, we will have the guidance and direction from the Lord in our lives, and there will still be time left over for a reasonable amount of time for the nice-to-do things.  Seeking for the simple joys may very well be part of the essential and necessary.  We will find joy in doing things the way the Lord would have us to do them.

In accordance with President Monson's talk to the BYU Women's Conference in 2008 "Joy in the Journey" he suggests while we sisters often feel inadequate and ineffective because we can't do all that we feel we should, that  "Rather than continually dwelling on what still needs to be done, pause occasionally and reflect on all that you do and have done.  It is most significant.  The good you have done, the kind words you have spoken, the love you have shown to others, can never be fully measured."

I find simple joy in emailing a friend or family member, trying to send out a cheerful word, smiling and saying hello to someone as I pass by them, taking pictures and looking at photographs, reading to a child, finding something that makes me laugh, delighting in nature, thinking of my blessings and expressing gratitude to the Lord, reading a good book, and so on....

"Whatever God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily."  -President Monson (Ensign 11/08)

"He commands us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us HAPPY--evidence of His love."  Bonnie Parkins (Ensign 5/07)

Happy joy seeking!