Why do you Think Abortion is your Only Option?

Hello my Dear Sisters of this World,

I was out running errands this morning and saw a sign at the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Mango, Florida. It was talking about abortion and remembering the lives of the babies and their mothers. It made me think a little about this issue. I have participated in fasts and lots of prayers for this to stop but it's obvious that abortion is here to stay. I truly doubt it will ever go back to being an illegal practice, doesn't mean I will stop praying that it does, but I just think that it will never change.

However, a thought came to me, I call it inspiration, and it said we need to convince women that there are other options. If we can't make the practice of abortion go away then let's help women see the other choices they can make and why it is the best thing to do. Threats and making someone feel horrible about themselves hasn't worked, so there has to be a better way.

Lets look at this for a moment.  We should ask ourselves the question why does a women decide to do this? I can think of several reasons but I may not say them without it sounding hateful and I certainly do not hate these women who choose to do this. We can't walk in their shoes but we can show them that the other options can bring a sense of happiness in making a choice to let the baby live.

The Lord has commanded us not to take another persons life, it is a sin when we break a commandment and this is a commandment. But we can choose to avoid the sin by looking at the other options that are available when a baby is not the best thing for the mother at that time.

 “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it”  (D&C 59:6)

What are the options? Of course the best option is for the birth mom to keep her baby but sometimes that is not possible. So we have to think of other options with her. One choice is to have the child and give it up for adoption. Adoption is not a horrible thing. Have you ever seen a woman who is unable to have a child of her own. Her heart is so broken every time she see's a new baby. She knows that she may never hold a child of her own. Do you know that by making a choice to give her the baby will bring joy to so many people. It will bring happiness to the new mom, the baby, and giver of the life! That's a lot of good that is being done.

There are programs available where the birth mother can choose who she wants her baby to go to. That is awesome to be able to choose the home the baby will be raised. Some people are even good about letting the birth mother be involved in the child's life as well, now that is amazing. What a good heart on both sides.

 Life doesn't have to be filled with hatred and ill feelings towards one another, make any situation a good thing. The birth mom goes on with her life and still get's to see her child grow and the adoptive mom gets to raise a baby as her own. Peace (long sigh) of heart and mind. To me that is the only option. But there are other options, the key is to not make abortion an option.

We have to show love and not judgement to the birth mom, she needs moral support and sometimes financial support. What are we willing to do to avoid the decision of abortion? That is something that is between you, the birth mom and Heavenly Father. When we include Him in our decision we always choose the right one, doesn't mean life will be all wonderful and perfect, but it does mean it will be the right one and everyone will be blessed for it.

Now perhaps you are thinking about a very young girl, or a victim of rape, or even a mother who's life is on the line. Those are good examples of the fight today. People use those instances as a valid reason to have legal abortion options. But as I always say when we give in to something for the benefit of good, it gets abused and turned around so itis used for bad.

But even with those situations I would think the baby is worth fighting for as well. No, I have never been in that situation, nor have I known anyone that was ever in that situation but I would try to help the mom to see that the baby is a victim as well. We all experience challenges and trials in our lives but it's what we do with them that makes or breaks us. So if a person is raped, no matter the age, the mom can get help to get her through the tough times she will have in carrying the child. It will not be easy and it is a hard choice to make, but in the long run it can give the personal healing power to her soul.

As for the health of the mother, that is a tough one too. I think one of the saddest things in life is when a mother dies and leaves her young family. I'm sure it is one of the most unfair things in life. But God'd plan is one that we do not always undersand. The choice in all these situations is between the mother and God; we can not judge. We can only try to help no matter the choice.

I had a young friend who was pregnant and she did not want to be. I remember her calling me and asking for advice. I tried and tried to talk her out of the thoughts of abortion. She was a Christian but she was just so overwhelmed with grief. She had  broke up with the young man for a good reason but she did not want to raise a child alone. I was so heartbroken when she told me she had the abortion, but I couldn't let her see my disappointment in her decision.  I had made a lot of wrong choices in my life so I was not in a situation to judge her decision, all I could do is let her cry on my shoulder and be her friend.

I know she has her regrets but all we can do it try to help them make a good choice and if they don't , be as supportive as we can. I will not back down on my fight against abortion and the taking of a life. I believe woman should choice to save the life of the baby and then if she can not raise it , give it to a home where it can be raised in a good environment. Prayer and reflection on the situation will only aid in the decision. May God direct our lives for the good of everyone. And may He be allowed to direct your decision in the matter of abortion whether you are the birth mother or someone who cares enough to help someone make the best choice, and that is for all life.

Would Jesus have condemned the mother? No, he would have showed her love and support. He would have done everything He could to show her the best choices. And yes, he would have been disappointed if she chose to have the abortion. But we are given the gift of freedom of choice, and with that comes consequences of our choices. Not ones that are decided by people but ones that go with choices that are made.

We have to stand as righteous women and fight against evil. The person is not normally evil but the act of abortion is. I pray that God will direct your path to doing good in this fight for life. Love as Jesus loves and help build up His Kingdom.

All my love!!!

Stand as Light to the World

Dear Sisters,

Wow, what a mess this world is becoming. This wonderful country that we live in is supposed to be a place of righteousness and protection, but our own country is so filled with evil and hatred. My blog today is for you, as righteous women, to take a stand for God; become that beacon of Light for all to see. The world needs us now more than ever.

So many souls are lost and don't know where to go for help. As God's beacon we can illuminate the way back to God. As Christian women we shouldn't be fighting against one another saying who's religion is right or wrong, but we should take the good part of all of us and reach out to the poor of spirit, or those who are struggling with life or, those who are blind to the ways of God.

We have been blessed with much good in our lives and now we are to take that good and share it with others. Most will not want to see God's ways, and will turn away from us but even one soul in need can make a difference in the joy of our hearts and the glory of God.

I was reading the other day in the scriptures about what God's whole purpose is for us. It says, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)" That means His whole purpose is to help us gain eternal life, to live forever in joy with Him. That is awesome! It woke me up as I realized that God's plan is all about me, and everyone else, but it's all about me!!!

So, if that is God's plan, and I am in a good place right now, then aren't I supposed to take the blessings that God has given me and share them with others? And as I do, I realize that I am helping to build His kingdom by bringing souls unto Christ. What a concept, my goals in life changed at that moment of understanding.

So where do we begin? Look at this world, our own countries and towns. Instead of loving people we are learning to hate and kill them. What's wrong with that picture? It's not Gods way, it's Satan's way. He is laughing at us as we are destroying our brothers and sisters. Where is the peace on earth, goodwill to all men? Well, it has to start with us.

Righteous women we can no longer stand on the fence, it's time to choose a side and take a stand. We can all join together to fight against the evil one. So we start by committing ourselves to God and his plan, not mans. We have to say that we are willing to be instruments in His hands, then go and do.

There are a lot of battles going on over family, marriage bonds, and issues of race. There are issues of immigration, and child protection. There are so many places to take a stand and fight. The battle for God is not necessarily a physical one but a battle of the mind , heart, and soul. There are homeless people in our country, and those in abusive situation. There are those lost to alcohol and drugs. There are so many who are lost and can not find their way. They need us now.

We don't have to preach at them, but love them by helping them. Words are probably not going to make a difference with most people but our actions will. If we will stop and help our neighbor, or a person standing in line at the store, or volunteer to help at a hospital - we will see a big difference in the way people feel about the world around them; we can give them hope. And that is what we all need, hope mingled with faith will bring souls to the right place.

Never give up on a person, keep being a friend. Don't put yourself in a dangerous position but help where you can. Pray for guidance and listen for the answer, it will come. God loves you and will bless your life as you bless those for good.

There is a story where a man was walking on the beach and saw someone pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean, The man remarked that this person couldn't possible save all the starfish that washed up on the shore. The person smiled and said no, maybe not, and bent down picked up a starfish then threw it in the sea, and said but I just saved that one.

We won't be able to lead everyone back to God but maybe we can help with this one, or that one. All we have to do is try, and God will do the rest. Let's fix what we can, or at least stand firm in God's plan. He needs us to do our part now, before it's too late. Never give up, keep fighting for what we know is right and pleasing to God. We may find it exhausting but that's why we are here; to
continue the fight until our Savior returns.

All my love

How Can We Have Charity?

Mosiah 2:17
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

The key to charity is serving one another. There are so many ways to serve our brothers and sisters. There are charitable organizations that need volunteers. This is something that is needed all year long.

Forbes - Top 200 Charitable Organizations

There are things we can do for the elderly, or orphans, or the sick. There are things we can do for the lonely, or handicapped, or the poor of heart. There are so many things we can do if we just look around for opportunities and ask God for help.

If you want charity in your life you have to ask God to help you attain this attribute of Christ. When we live righteous lives and focus on God good things happen and we are given that gift.

Last year my youngest son started thinking of ways that he can serve. He wasn't sure what he should do so he took his question to God in prayer, asking Him what God would have him do. The very next day he received an answer in General Conference when the Prophet announced that the age to become a missionary was dropped to 18 years old. He knew this was his answer and has now been preparing for that act of service.

18 Year old missionary announcement

The missionaries call him quite often to go out on visits with them. He is really enjoying and loving what he is doing. He has begun his journey in gaining this attribute of Jesus Christ by understanding charity.

"Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously. Ask your Heavenly Father to bless you with these attributes; you cannot develop them without His help. With a desire to please God, recognize your weaknesses and be willing and anxious to improve." 
Preach my Gospel Manual

We as righteous women can do the same, all we have to do is ask God what He would have us do and the answer will come. If you don't receive an answer right away, then open your eyes and heart to see what good needs to be done, and act upon it, then you will see the Light of Christ shine through your example a hope and faith for everyone you serve. You will have the gift of charity.

What Does Charity Mean to Jesus?

1 Corinthians 13

I always thought of charity as showing love to people by giving to organizations that helped people, then I started reading the scriptures and found charity to show love for people by helping them in many ways and praying for them. But then when I began to really study the scriptures I found that charity is really something a lot more than showing love and helping where I could.

I love Paul and the things he taught. Reading this scripture has taught me what charity really means.

He says that charity is everything. He says that if you do everything you are supposed to do but you don't have charity then you are nothing. I thought about that for a moment, how do you do all the right things but not have charity?

I know that there were times when I would do things because I knew I was supposed to but I didn't really want to do it; like when I was learning about tithing. I wanted to take the money and use it on something else but I knew I was supposed to pay 10% of my increase. I had to learn that the blessings don't come if you do it with the wrong attitude. I knew if I paid an honest tithe and did it with a loving attitude that I was showing my love for my Father in this commandment. So this part of the scripture did make more sense to me; give it with my heart.

But charity means more than just loving through obedience; some of these were real eye openers to me.

Charity is long suffering: That means we are to be patient with others and with God, as long as it takes. We should forgive time and time again, for as long as it takes. We should continue to help people for as long as it takes. These things are not always easy but if we do this we will know charity in our hearts.

Charity envieth not: This means we are to be happy with what we have and not want what others have. There were times in my life that I wished I was blessed with certain things in my life, mostly material things, but then I realized that even though some people had materials things I had spiritual blessings which others did not, and spiritual blessings last longer than material ones. I found that I was happy with my blessings. It seemed that the more material things they had the more they wanted, they were never happy or satisfied.

Charity never vaunteth itself, was not puffed up: This means we don't go around bragging and feeling mightier than the people we serve. When we serve we have to do it with God in mind, that we are doing these things to help but not make anyone feel less of themselves for receiving. Christians are often accused of being mightier than, if we have charity in our hearts we will disprove that theory by helping people to realize that we act upon these things because we want to be more like our Savior, we want to do it because we love them. Jesus was not prideful in service to others.

Seeketh not her own: We are not to pick and choose who we give service and love to, we should be doing this every day as we go through our lives. If we see a need we help, we don't say well today I am going to do one act of service to help someone. We should be saying I will do what the Holy Spirit prompts me to do and serve where I am needed today.

Charity bearth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endueth all things: We should testify that we are followers of Jesus Christ and try to do as He did, we should testify of the truth we hold in our hearts, we should help others to hope for good things to happen, and we should help others to hold on and continue fighting the battle against evil. When we do these things, and help
others to to these things, we are showing true charity in our hearts. We are showing that we have the true love of Christ.

As righteous women we should seek for good things in our lives and find love in  our hearts for all people for they are our brothers and sisters, children of God. They are not more or less than we are. They are strong in some areas of life that we are not and we are strong in some areas of life that they are not, we can serve each other with the strengths we are blessed with: this is charity.

Paul concludes that charity never faileth, and that we should have faith, hope and charity, but the most important of all is charity.

Do You Have Patience to Wait for Hope

Romans 8:24-25
"For we are saved by ^ahope: but hope that is ^bseen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

My oldest grandson is at the age when he wants to know if it's time yet. For example, he is going to Sea World this month, he wants to know if it's time yet. He wants to know how many days until Thanksgiving, and Christmas, etc. 

My daughter made a chain for Halloween, you know the one like the Christmas countdown chain. This helped him to know when it was time for Halloween. It save my daughter from a lot of days of him asking how many more days until Halloween. But, he learned to have hope that when that chain got to the end that it would be time, like promised.

I thought of this story when I read this scripture about having hope but are we patient enough to wait for it?

Hope requires patience, the Lord does things on His time. If we are patient we will receive the answer to a prayer, or gain knowledge of His ways, or receive blessings.  He does this to teach us more about having faith and hope. He teaches us to be patient and wait for the promised blessings. 

We can find strength in hope, we can strengthen others through hope. We can change the world with hope. With hope comes faith and charity, which is love. Hope is a powerful word that we need to use in our lives to become more like Jesus Christ. He taught us to have hope because He knows the good that can come from it. 

As righteous women we can shine the light of hope for all to see. We can be an example of being positive and having patience that good things will come our way as we move toward the Light daily and guide others to do the same. We can have hope in a troubled world, waiting patiently for the return of our Savior to rescue us from the evil that seems to get stronger each day. Hope will see us through, we just need to endure to the end, we were made to do this.

Prayer and Hope

Alma 58:10-11
"Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our ^adeliverance in him."

Have you ever felt like you were in the grasp of evil? Or that you felt so hopeless that you couldn't see the light ahead? I have, I remember a time in my life where I felt Satan around me. I was married to a man, my first marriage, who invited evil in his life. So I tried to please him best I could and that meant doing somethings I wasn't comfortable with. I could feel Satan laughing at me.

But I remember times being alone in my home, and feeling like I was being watched. I would walk past a darkened bedroom door and could feel a presence that scared the life out of me. I knew what I needed to do, so I knelt in prayer and begged for help, from the Right Source.

That peace came right away and I knew I had my answer. I needed to make changes in my life and invite the Spirit of Hope to be with me always. I couldn't change what my husband was doing but I could change what I was doing. My marriage eventually ended but I had hope that I was on the right track.

As righteous women we need to constantly have a prayer in our hearts for our families and ourselves so we can be protected against the evil that confronts us daily. We cannot shine the Light of Christ for others to see if it is hidden by darkness. The Lord will deliver us from the evil that surrounds us if we show that we have faith and hope that is so needed in a troubled world. He loves us and wants us to invite Him into our lives. So shine that Light high for all to see and have hope as you follow the path of righteousness!!!

Sunday Points of Conference

Well, another great spiritual feeding. I love how everything relates to my life, it's like they are talking to just me. But as always I receive messages that really hit home. Here are a few;

Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke about our life goals being in alignment with God plan of happiness for us. If we don't have that we may end up serving other God's. It's so easy justify our choices in life when they are in correlation with the world but when we need to make those changes to be in alignment with God's we find it a hard thing to do. I like how he said we need to have courage to stand for truth and that we should not be moral cowards.

Elder Richard G. Scott talked about recognizing the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. He used the example of the stripling warriors. I loved the way he told their story. It touched my heart and made me want to work harder to be sure my children could be more like them.

I think there were 3 times I heard the usage of "voice of warning" which one was from the talk by Quentin L. Cook. He spoke a lot about the bondage's we may be a part of today, things that take away our moral agency like addictions, excessive social media, political beliefs, etc.

Elder Neil L. Andersen really hit home, since I am a single mom. I am grateful to know that I know my place and the power I have as a mother in the home. And by living my covenants I will have the priesthood power to do what I need to within my home for my family. I am grateful for wonderful home teachers and leadership in my ward who help to give my family the priesthood that we need. And I am grateful for 2 sons and a son-in-law who hold both the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods by honoring it and blessing our lives with it.

There are so many more good ones that reached my heart like Elder Russell M. Nelsons talk about our the miracle of our bodies and how we will have to answer for how we use them. He spoke about self mastery which just happens to be something that I have been praying for lately. How do they know?!

I also love the inspiring words of our Prophet Thomas S. Monson, what a wonderful example he is to all of us. How can anyone not love this man? My youngest son made a comment about how he needs to become more like him. He said he wanted to be able to look back at his life periodically and know that he is doing a lot of good.

I'm sad its over but I have a lot to ponder and perfect in my life. These are things that I believe will make me a more righteous daughter of God. I hope you were able to find things to help your spiritual growth. If you think you might have missed something don't forget that the Ensign will be out next month, that will be a good time to review and start making those changes in your life for good.

Man, I can't until next Spring. :)

Lessons I Learned from the Saturday Sessions of General Conference

I REALLY LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE (exclamation point)!!!

Every talk had something for me in it, that is amazing. How do they know what I need to hear?!

I would like to focus on a couple of points that hit home to me;

Elder Robert D Hales spoke about how we need General Conference, this I know, because we can receive inspired messages that will help us over the next 6 months until the next conference. He promised that if we listened to the words spoken at this conference that we would receive answers to our prayers and concerns. I had thought of 3 questions before conference began and I am surprised and pleased to say that I have already received answers to all 3 questions, amazing!

Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke about the scriptures being the place where we find peace and protection from the perils of the world. I found this a great help due to all the evil that is surrounding our families daily. A simply thing like reading as a family can help us to be protected from the worldly influence our poor children have to face daily. One of my thoughts was about being prepared for what is to come, he said the answers were in the scriptures. I know this, but I always need to be reminded to look there.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke about women and how awesome we are, :), well something like that. He actually spoke about the beauty of womanhood and how we have to protect it from the influences of confused people who try to make us equal to men on a man's level, when we should be equal to men on a woman's level. I loved that he spoke about these things. Some women don't realize that we have a great influence for good by using the tools the Lord gave us. But it is our relationship with God that really keeps us on track to standing as righteous women daily.

And, the last one I want to talk about is from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. He spoke about the reality of mental illness. He spoke about things that I have always thought about depression. I think most depression is something we have control over, it may not be easy but we can fight against it; I understand some can not. He did say that it was a real thing. He spoke about a time he felt it, and it reminded me of a time I felt it. I was in my late 30's and just started to feel low over my life and the darkness just started to drag me down, I didn't want to do anything but curl up on the couch and sleep. I'm a thinker and all I could do was dwell on the problems I was experiencing at the time. I was a single mom with 3 kids still at home ranging from 3-13. I knew they needed me because we had no family near us. So I prayed for strength to get out of that depression and made myself get back into life. It took a good 2 weeks before I was myself again but it was real. I knew I never wanted to feel it again, any time I recognized that feeling creeping in I would focus on the Savior and my family; it worked.

There were so many more wonderful talks, I wish I had time to talk about all of them but these are the ones that really hit home. I hope you have enjoyed conference so far and will continue to gain spiritual instruction  through the rest of the weekend. Don't forget to ponder the things you have learned, that's how we keep them in our hearts.

Ye are the Light of the World!!!

Matthew 5:14 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

Last Saturday, early morning, I made a short 1 hour trip to Orlando to attend the temple. On my trip to and from I spent time talking to my Heavenly Father about my trials and goals. I enjoyed my session, and cried through most of it; I was spiritual moved by my time there. I took a little extra time in the Celestial Room to clear my mind from all the difficult issues that have entered into my life recently. All in all it was a good start to my day and I was ready to meet my challenges when I left.

Later that day the sister missionaries called and asked me to meet them at the home of an investigator who was interested in family history. I did and I walked away feeling real good about the opportunity I had to share my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That evening my youngest son and I needed to run to the store to pick up a couple of items that was needed for the Sabbath Day. As we were walking into the store a very nice gentleman greeted us with this comment;
"The Holy Ghost just told me that you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ."

I smiled and exclaimed, "Yes, I am." He kept walking and then yelled over his shoulder saying, "And that nice young man with you is, too."

I agreed that my son was, too. I felt great that someone recognized my love of the Savior Jesus Christ through my countenance.

When we do the thing the Lord expects of us, through obedience, we can shine the Light of Christ in our lives. We won't be able to hide that light that radiates from our souls. We can be that beacon that others will look to for guidance in troubling times.

We do live in a very troubled world, and we as righteous women need to be that beacon. So fill your day with good things and watch how others react to you. Smile when you pass someone, say hello to someone who looks sad, and help when someone can use a hand. It's up to us to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ, so shine the light and hold it high for all to see.

Third Article of Faith

The Third Article of Faith states:

"We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."

What does this mean? Jesus Christ is the only way back to our heavenly home. And that through his atoning sacrifice we can be saved simply by having faith in Him enough to be obedient to his laws and ordinance.

What are His laws? Jesus came and lived his life here on this earth to teach us how we should live our lives and then he paid the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind - that is to suffer for the price of our sins and lay down His life so we can over come death as He did. By doing the things Jesus taught we are following His laws.  What did he do?

He honored God first and foremost and then looked to the well being of all people ( see Matt 22:37-40). He taught lessons to His followers so they could understand His laws. By studying about Jesus' life on the earth we can come to know him and his ways better and become more like him. We can learn that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that he sent His only Begotten Son to save us all. We can learn that our most important mission here is love all people and do what we can to help them on the right path. He taught, he loved, and he sacrificed.

What are His ordinances? The first ordinance is baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. We will talk more about that in another post. There are many other kinds of ordinances that are important to our salvation. We as Latter-day Saints also perform ordinances in the Temples which help us to have a higher understanding of God's ways. These things help us to become better people and develop a higher love of our brothers and sisters, which are all people. We make covenants with God to do certain things and He makes a promise to us to bless us with things we need in our lives. Ordinances are meant for our progression to be able to be successful in walking the path here in this life and to be able to walk the path home to heaven.

So, if we honor God by following the footsteps of Jesus, meaning to do as He did, then we are showing our love back to God. We are showing that we love them enough to do what Jesus did while he was here; to follow His example. Also, if we take care of each other, especially those who are needy - spiritually, physically, and mentally, then we are also doing the will of our Father in Heaven.

And, if we fulfill the ordinances and honor those covenants we make with God then we will be blessed and be able to return home successfully into the arms of a loving God.

But first we must recognize that the only way that could have ever happened for us is through the Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His great love for His Father, and us, helped Him to fulfill His part of the Plan of Salvation. He did something that we probably will never fully be able to understand. But we can understand it enough to realize that we are sinners and that we need Him and his atonement in order to return home. Without Him we are nothing. We have to recognize that Jesus is the only way back to our heavenly home.

Through His sacrifice and through our obedience we can find peace and blessings in our lives in knowing that we are on the right path and working hard to help others to see that path as well. Its plain and simple, the plan is laid out in our scriptures. God wants us to be successful and return to Him so he has given us every tool we need to to do this. We just have to do our part by studying and understanding then being obedient to what He wants us to do. Jesus will do the rest.

That is pretty awesome. I am so glad He is on our side. I am so grateful that Jesus suffered and sacrificed so that we can return home, as long as we do what we are supposed to do. I know that Jesus loves us and I know that Heavenly Father loves us and through the fulfilling of the Plan of Salvation we can live for eternity in the most wonderful place ever. What more could we ever want?

Life Link day, it's finally here!

Well, tomorrow is Life Link day for my daughter Chay. That means she goes for her first evaluation for a kidney transplant. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I hope that all goes well so that she can have this transplant.

But I think we are going to be a little disappointed because I have heard from two medical professionals that she probably won't be able to have her kidney transplant until she can have a liver transplant, which she needs too; that's disappointing.

But we will see, once we talk to them we will know more how everything works in this process and if she is a candidate for a transplant. I just want her all better so she can move on with her life. She has been through so much already and she was on a good path before all this came to light.

We will just have to keep praying and know that whatever happens is what is meant to be. God has our back and we have faith that he is always there for us. I know it will all be good.

Emergencies Happen Every Day

Emergencies do happen every day. Nobody wants these things to happen to them or others but they do, so we need to "be prepared for the worst and hope for the best". I heard that phrase somewhere, not sure who said it first.

Being prepared for what is to come is the smart thing to do. The world today sees earthquakes, tornado's  hurricanes, flood, droughts, and snowstorms. Our economy takes its ups and downs without our permission so we have to adjust to its will. Being prepared for whatever comes our way is the only way to stay sane in troubled times.

It's important to know what things to store for your family so I have included some links that might be helpful in preparing for the worst. There are lots of websites out there so do your research them and choose wisely.

Emergency Kitchen

Food Storage Tips

Seven Major Mistakes

Helpful Tips

I love Lemonade

This is my favorite saying. When I first saw this saying I knew it was meant for me. There have been times in my life that I would be so frantic over my situations and trials that I thought I would fall apart. But this saying has helped me to become more rational and calmer when I have to deal with life's challenges.

I remember once when I was so overwhelmed with just trying to survive and care for the needs of my children. My finances were so tight and my ex-husband had lost his job so he couldn't send any money. I was so afraid of what was going to happen to us. We lived all the way across the country from our family so we had to do things on our own most of the time.

I was so tired one day after working from 3AM - 6AM throwing newspapers then going into town 30 miles away to pick up part of the newspapers for the Sundays papers and deliver them to all the carriers from 7AM to 2PM. I was so exhausted and near tears, then I found out that there would be no child support for awhile, I was ready to crack.

I got in the shower and broke down so my children wouldn't see me fall apart. I cried for awhile and then I heard someone say "Why are you crying, you know it always works out?" Then I stopped crying and realized that it was true. It is how I handle my trials that make all the difference. It was time to make some lemonade. If I kept crying then I would not be showing my faith in Jesus Christ's promise to always be with me.

I knew it would all be ok, and it was. Its hard going through the trials but if we can just take a moment to stand back and see the whole picture then it gets easier to work through. At least that was my experience. I trusted in my Savior to help me and He always did, and still does. I love him so much and I am grateful for his constant companionship.

It is just up to me to dance in the rain and know it will all be ok in the end, just keeping enduring it every day. We are never alone.

I Want to Live in the City of Enoch

I have been studying the Pearl of Great Price, if you are Mormon, this is scripture to you but if you are not then I want to explain that this is part of our scriptures. In the Pearl of Great Price are hidden treasures that we have been blessed with in the latter days.

I have been really taking my time and trying to learn from these books. Recently, I began studying about the City of Enoch and what they did that got them translated. There are a number of things they did but the general idea is they lived in a place where everyone worked together and shared in the blessings of that work.

I have thought a lot about it and seeing what I could do to make changes in my life so I could become more like them. Then something happened that showed me that I was on the right path. I went to pick up pizza for a family I knew who were moving out of state but were stuck for a couple of days with everything packed and no way to cook.

There was a man standing outside the pizza store and he asked if I could spare a slice of pizza. I told him the pizza was for someone else, he quietly said ok. I went inside and got the pizza for this family, then I thought I could buy him his own pizza but without transportation it might be awkward carrying the box so I bought him some bread instead. He was very grateful for that and left. My children were in the car waiting for me, they are teenagers, and I explained to them what happened and about the City of Enoch. As I looked at the man walking away, the hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief " came to mind, and I cried. I felt the Spirit witness to me that I did as the Savior would have me do.

I was on the right track. I felt the need to tell my children if I ever came up missing and I was never found not to worry cause I could have been translated. LOL! Well, I don't ever expect that to happen but I know that I can work for that kind of perfection in my life anyway.

I have been praying for a while that I would be able to see people through the eyes of Christ but I have just realized that I really need to be looking at people as I do my Savior. Then, I would be more willing to do for those who are lowly and lost, those who are in need of His love. We are the answers to people prayers through inspiration from above. So as I see it, we need to act upon that inspiration and help all people at every opportunity.

I am so grateful to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and I have been so blessed my whole life. Now it is my turn to share those blessings, that were so freely given to me, with others. I just have to open my eyes and heart and see my Savior in every soul. I can do that, may be a little harder to do when people offend me or mine but I can work on that.

Special Gifts from God

My oldest daughter shared a blog post with me yesterday from a woman who planned for and expected the perfect life and family. However, God saw fit to give her a challenge by sending her a special gift from heaven by way of her second child.

You can find this post, here.

Please read this uplifting message from her. It's long, but if you walk away without red eyes or at least a sniffling nose then you may have to rethink your values in life. It is well worth the time to read. I loved her beautiful message maybe because I too received a gift from God that was one of the most wonderful experience in my life.

My first child was this gift that I wish was still in my life at this time but I was only allowed to have her on this earth for just under 4 years. Those 4 years were full of heartache but most of all they were joyful moments filled with love. I wouldn't trade them for anything except the opportunity to have more moments like those.

I remember thinking why was this happening to me. I just couldn't understand why this was happening with my baby. I remember the first moment I realized that my baby really was sick. When I walked through the ICU in Birmingham Children's Hospital I remember thinking why is my child in here; she wasn't as sick as these other children, but she was. It was a wake up call to how precious life really was.

I am so grateful for every minute I had with her. There were some tough moments, a couple of those were stop and go moments, but the time we did have with her were the best. I learned so much from her and I will be forever grateful. I guess I can't say that enough.

But after she returned home to Heavenly Father I remember getting angry at Him. There were so many times that she had bad episodes and he could have taken her at that time but he took her at a time when she was doing so well. Her meds were under control, we saw new growth in her abilities to master minor skills because she was going to a new school, and she was trying to communicate better. I was so happy, then she was gone. I just didn't understand what happened.

I remember feeling at peace right after her death though because I knew I was being carried in the arms of my Savior during this time but once it was all over and I began to wake up from this dream, I began to feel the anger. It was my mother's aunt who helped me see the whole picture.

She helped me realize that we are all God's children and we were here on loan until it was our time. She helped me see that we all had our time to return home to Him, she helped me think of all the good things I had been blessed with and that it was not a punishment for anything I did wrong in the past.

And most of all, she helped me remember that we were sealed for all eternity and we would be together again; and I was promised that I would be able to finish raising her in the Millennium. I then began to be grateful to a Heavenly Father who understood the love of a mourning parent by giving us the gift of eternal families. He knew about losing children because so many of us refuse to turn our hearts to Him. He knew the heartache and planned to make it better for us as long as we did our part.

Oh, how my love for Him grew. I knew I had some heavy duty praying to do, I needed to know He forgave me for my anger. I wanted Him to know I understood and would except His will in all things and that I was so very grateful for the plan of Happiness and eternal families. I knew He forgave me for my shortcomings and weaknesses and that He loved me. I knew everything was going to be ok after that. I would still feel the heartache but I knew I was going to be ok and there were promises of eternity.

Life goes on and I am glad to have had my sweet baby girl for the time that I had her. I pray for all those who have had losses or will have losses in their lives. I pray that they will know that He loves them and that everything will be ok; that they just need to keep the faith and trust in Him that all is well. Take the time to tell all your loved ones how much you love them daily and accept God's plan for you if He sends you one of His Special Ones; for that is one of the greatest blessings ever; to know He trusts you with the care of this very special spirit.

Guest Post: Rantin' & Ravin'

Hi!

My name is is Tammy and I write on Rantin' & Ravin'.

I was so excited to hear from J-lyn here on To Stand As Righteous Women. When she asked if I would do a guest post, I jumped on the chance.

She basically gave me a free reign as long as it was inspiring for her readers and encouraged you all in righteousness. So, I gave it a little thought and took it to prayer. Isn't that what we should do in all things?

I read over her previous posts here and here and decided to write about the constitution.

The United States Constitution is an inspired document. This document serves as a model for other nations and is currently the oldest Constitution still used today.

I know that the Lord inspired people such as Columbus, the Pilgrims and the puritans to search for a place where they could have religious freedom. I know that the Founding Fathers were led by the Father to write the words of the Constitution. The Constitution was laid out to allow for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am a history major and I have had many professors teach me that the Founding Fathers were not Christians.

How can this be?

The Declaration of Independence affirmed the Founding Fathers’ belief and trust in God in these words: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

At the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence, they wrote, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” This Declaration was a promise that would demand terrible sacrifice on the part of its signers. Five of the signers were captured as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary War; another had two sons captured. Nine died from wounds or from the hardships of the war.

Would you be willing to die for something that you truly didn't believe in, for Someone you truly didn't believe in?

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention were the recipients of heavenly inspiration. James Madison (my favorite!!), often referred to as the father of the Constitution, wrote: “It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution” (The Federalist, no. 37, ed. Henry Cabot Lodge, New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983, p. 222).

Alexander Hamilton, famous as the originator of The Federalist papers and author of fifty-one of the essays, said: “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system, which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interest” (Essays on the Constitution of the United States, ed. Paul L. Ford, 1892, pp. 251–52).

Charles Pinckney, a very active participant and author of the Pinckney Plan during the Convention, said: “When the great work was done and published, I was struck with amazement. Nothing less than the superintending Hand of Providence, that so miraculously carried us through the war … could have brought it about so complete, upon the whole” (Essays on the Constitution, p. 412).

Don't let anyone ever tell you that they were not Christians!

In a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson titled, Our Divine Constitution, he says, 

"How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?

First and foremost, we must be righteous.

 

John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31). If the Constitution is to have continuance, this American nation, and especially the Latter-day Saints, must be virtuous.

Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers.

 

Have we read The Federalist papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?

As Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never will be” (Letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, 6 Jan. 1816).

Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented.

Note the qualities that the Lord demands of those who are to represent us. They must be good, wise, and honest.

Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice.

  

We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel."

Have you ever head the expression, "The Constitution is hanging on by a thread"? 

That thread is your vote. 

It's important we make our voices heard.

Mark your calendars, November 6th!