In His Arms

For  over a week, I've had a couple scriptures stuck in my head.

"...I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love"

2Nephi 1:15

"...encircles them in the arms of safety..."

Alma 34:16

Arms of love. Arms of safety. Arms of mercy. Those are the arms I want to be encircled in. Those are the arms that want to encircle me. My Heavenly Father--your Heavenly Father--and my Savior, Jesus Christ--your Savior, Jesus Christ--want to encircle you in Their arms.

I feel the Savior's loving embrace when I listen to a song like "I Feel My Savior's Love".

I feel the Savior's loving embrace when I pour out my soul in fervent, heartfelt prayer.

I feel the Savior's loving embrace when I embrace His gospel and live His teachings.

* When do you feel the Savior's loving embrace?*

If you have questions about this, or any other post PLEASE feel free to comment or send me a private message. I would love to answer your questions and help you on your personal journey to feeling His loving embrace every day.

Let go

I started writing this post a week ago. Day after day, it didn't feel right. I deleted it. Started over. And over. And over. I didn't know why I couldn't just feel satisfied with any of the many many topics I tried to write about. How come none of my ideas were working?

Doctrine and Covenants section 9 verse 9 says:

"But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me."

I'm not working on the translation of The Book of Mormon like Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were at the time they received this revelation, but I definitely think Heavenly Father was teaching me a lesson by sending a plethora of "stupor of thoughts" this week. It's a lesson I've been taught many times, but my oh so patient and loving Father in Heaven kindly re-teaches me again and again: "Let go" He pleads, "Let Me take control."

I'm learning. Slowly. When I started this post, for the final time, I intended it to be a post on prayer. Now as I look back at the words that have flowed from my typing fingers, I notice prayer is not the prevailing theme. That's okay. It's important that we relinquish control, because His ways are always better. 

What are you  holding on to maybe a little too tightly? Remember: we must let a kite have some string in order to fly. Let the string go a little more this week. Let Christ lift you and help you soar.

Trees and Trials

Lately, I've thought a lot about trees. Maybe it's because I just read an awesome article "The Best Time to Plant a Tree"  by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), or maybe it's because of all the majestic Douglas Firs here in Oregon. Either way, I have trees on the brain.

I was reading in Alma 32 the other day, and the thought struck me "What if a seed decided it wasn't even going to try to sprout because it was too scared the rain would beat it down or a lawnmower would chop it into oblivion?" As I look out the window at all the trees, I can't help but  think "Way to go little seed! You did it! You faced the trials of life and you came out conqueror! You made it."

I don't want to be the seed that is too afraid to sprout. I want to grow into the person God created me to be. In his "tree" article, President Uchtdorf reminds us "You don't need to wait for permission to become the person you were designed to be." He goes on to say that although the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now. So today, I will plant a seed. I will plant the seed of who I want to be.

*What seed will you plant today? Who do you want to be?*

I don't expect the seed of who I want to be to grow into the tree of me overnight. I recognize that it will take time and effort. I recognize that sometimes, I will fail. President Uchtdorf says, "We almost certainly will fail—at least in the short term. But rather than be discouraged, we can be empowered because this understanding removes the pressure of being perfect right now." It is okay to fall down every now and then. When a toddler first learns to walk we certainly don't punish him when, after a few wobbly steps, he tumbles to the ground. We applaud his effort and encourage him to try, try again. Likewise, our Heavenly Father is patient with our "wobbly steps". 

When trials come and the rains pour, I think of this poem (one of my personal favorites):

GOOD TIMBER

By Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:

The stronger wind, the stronger trees;

The further sky, the greater length;

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife.

This is the common law of life. 

As we happily endure this life, may we be ever mindful that we are in the Maker's hands. He is shaping us into what He knows we can become.

Feeling God's Love

I yearn to feel my Savior's love. Although I know His love for me is always there, some days I struggle to feel that love. Do you ever feel a craving for reassurance that your Father in Heaven loves you...that He knows you?

I feel God's love for me most when I am on my knees pouring out my soul in prayer. I tell Him about my triumphs, my heartbreaks, and I plead for His help. He answers those heartfelt prayers with a quiet reassurance that I am known. Usually that answer is a peaceful feeling in my heart.

When do you feel God's love the most? Comment on this post and share your experiences with me.

A recent article in the Ensign (a magazine published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) tells about other way God's love might be felt. Click here to read about how other young adults feel that love.

"Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."

 --President Thomas S. Monson

(for the full text click here)

"We'll bring the world His truth"

It is an exciting time to be a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! We are just beginning to incorporate online resources into our efforts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. I will be using this blog to post weekly messages that will be spiritually uplifting and, hopefully, will help you feel Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for you. As we embark on this journey together, I ask for your support. Questions and comments are encouraged! Let's use the internet for good!

"You live in a world where technological advances occur at an astounding pace. It is difficult for many of my generation to keep up with the possibilities. Depending on how technology is used, these advances can be a blessing or a deterrent. Technology, when understood and used for righteous purposes, need not be a threat but rather an enhancement to spiritual communication."  

--Richard G. Scott, a living Apostle of Jesus Christ.