The Songs They Could Not Sing

“And Jesus listening can hear the songs I cannot sing.” 

                                 “There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today,” Hymns, no. 227.

This talk, The Songs They Could Not Sing, by Quentin L. Cook, is so good and yet so hard to listen to because of the subject matter. No one wants to think about someone dying early on in life before they have reached their full potential. It just seems unfair. But Peter had it right when he said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." - Acts 10:34 That is a tough pill to swallow.

But there is something that I tell myself that really helps me. When bad things happen I ask, "Why not me?" I mean anything can happen to anyone. But then when good things happen I ask, "Why me?" I am no better than anyone else. God didn't have to grant that blessing. It is His grace that is shining on me. These two phrases have humbled me so much. Of course I hope that tragedy never hits close to home, but life is just life. And it's hard. I couldn't bear it if I lost one of my kids because I love them and want to see them grow up. That would be the hardest for me. So what he says would definitely be true for me.

"A unique challenge for those who have lost loved ones is to avoid dwelling on the lost opportunities in this life. Often those who die early have demonstrated significant capabilities, interests, and talents. With our limited understanding, we lament the things that will not be accomplished and the songs that will not be sung. This has been described as dying with your music still inside you. Music in this case is a metaphor for unfulfilled potential of any kind. Sometimes people have made significant preparation but do not have the opportunity to perform in mortality.


Yet scriptures like this give me so much comfort:
 “Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not …, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” Doc & Cov 122:9

But of course now I feel like I need to start singing! If you know me then you know that I don't like singing. I actually just made a vow the other day, after feeling chastised of the Lord, to always sing in church despite not really liking to do so. I mean I love the hymns but I just can't concentrate on the words and sing at the same time. And now hearing this talk I will never not sing ever again. I will sing for all those who don't get to sing anymore in this life. And I will live my life to the fullest. I just want to go hug all my kids and never get upset with them ever again!

God Bless and go sing your heart out!

Making Choices

"Our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has taught: “I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.”

We were talking the other day about this very topic, how this life was given to us to make choices.

"In reality we have only two eternal choices, each with eternal consequences: choose to follow the Savior of the world and thus choose eternal life with our Heavenly Father or choose to follow the world and thus choose to separate ourselves from Heavenly Father eternally."

Trying to relate this message to the kids we likened it to Star Wars where Aniken makes choices that lead him to the dark side, while Luke choses to follow the good side.

"My dear brothers and sisters, your eternal destiny will not be the result of chance but of choice. It is never too late to begin to choose eternal life!"

The choices we make every day are so important. While every choice won't determine the outcome of our life, they each choice does take us down a path and can prove to be a great advancement or detour.

To read the whole talk click here.
Choose Eternal Life by Randall K. Bennett

Things As They Really Are

"To be “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15) will be a real and not a virtual experience." Elder Bednar

If you have boys, you might know, like I do, how much they love video games. I struggle all the time with how much I should let them play, what types of games and so forth. Not wanting to make it a fight, I try to get them to think and make the choices for themselves... with a little guidance for sure;)

Here is a great video to share with them about how they spend their time and what is really important. My boys and I had a good discussion on this subject after watching the video.

Recipe for Happiness

I am currently writing a book for Mother's about following God's plan for happiness. Finding the balance in doing with out time what we know is right and still having the time that we need for ourselves. It's a tricky balance and one that if we don't get right, can make us really unhappy, I suppose.

And in my research on what happiness is I came across this quote:

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”
― Joseph Smith Jr.

God wants us to be happy. He truly does!

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."
— Moses 1:39

My Walk with Christ

Imagining myself walking with my Savior is such a beautiful and peaceful thing. Of course I picture us walking barefoot on the beach talking because of the poem about the footsteps in the sand... But a beautiful grassy hillside would be heavenly also;) And while it feels like He would only be beside me for a brief moment, I feel as though I could call on Him at any moment to walk with me and He would come.

I love my Savior. I love Him with all my heart. I hope to know Him perfectly one day. To see Him face to face. To be able to hug Him. To call Him my brother, my friend and redeemer fills my heart with pure joy. I know that my redeemer lives!!

Identity, Priority, and Blessings

I came across this talk after watching a video about what matters most. (You can watch it below as well and you totally should!) Being a mom of 4, 5 and under, has it challenges... not the least being time. Time for me, time for each of my kids, time for my sweet husband, time for cleaning... And so to be reminded about what is important is vital to me and my happiness. It is easy to get taken by the current of daily pressures and not give time up to play with the kids or quietly read. But I will say this, when I remember first that I am a daughter of God, second a wife, thirdly a mother and finally ME, the nuggets of time I do end up getting are like nuggets of gold streaming with joy and miraculous inspiration. It might seem wrong by the world's standards, but it has worked wonders for my life. 

Because of the lack of time tonight I only got through the first 1/3 of the talk;) But here are a few of my favorite quotes.

Identity, Priority, and Blessings

BY ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

From a talk given at a Church Educational System Fireside at Brigham Young University on 10 September 2000.

It is important to know who you are and who you may become. It is more important than what you do, vital as your work is. You pursue an education to prepare for life’s work, but you also need to prepare for life—eternal life. I emphasize this because some people on life’s journey forget who they really are and what is really important. 

Without sure identity and priority, blessings that matter most are at the mercy of things that matter least.

Please remember: You work to sustain life; you don’t live to sustain work.

I did my best today to play with the kids and while it wasn't much it was something and I just hope I can do as much as I can each day! I mean, I really don't have that much time with them until they are too old to want to play with me anymore... sigh... gotta focus on them now, more than ever... I can have a spotless house later in life, right;)

God Bless

Wendy

Always Remember Him

I read the last part of Elder D. Todd Christofferson that I quoted in the previous post and it was just as wonderful. I loved this part of the message too!


"In short, to “always remember him” means that we do not live our lives in fear. We know that challenges, disappointments, and sorrows will come to each of us in different ways, but we also know that in the end, because of our divine Advocate, all things can be made to work together for our good (see D&C 90:24; 98:3). It is the faith expressed so simply by President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) when he would say, “Things will work out.” 4 When we always remember the Savior, we can “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power,” confident that His power and love for us will see us through.

May we always remember Him—“that [we] may always have his spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77). I bear my witness of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I bear witness of the reality of the living, resurrected Lord. I bear witness of the infinite and personal love of the Father and the Son for each of us, and I pray that we will live in constant remembrance of that love in all its expressions.

You and I can put Christ at the center of our lives and become one with Him as He is one with the Father. We can begin by stripping everything out of our lives and then putting it back together in priority order with the Savior at the center."

No Sins are Forgotten and No Blessings Withheld

Below is an excerpt from a talk by Elder. D. Todd Christofferson speaking about ways to always remember Christ in our daily lives. The whole talk is wonderful, but this story is especially touching. I've bolded what touched me most. But if you'd like to read the whole talk CLICK HERE.

"In my youth I once was negligent in a way that caused a minor injury to one of my brothers. I did not own up to my stupidity at the time, and no one ever knew about my role in the matter. Years later I was praying that God would reveal to me anything in my life that needed correction so that I might be found more acceptable before Him, and this incident came to my mind. I had forgotten about it, but the Spirit whispered that this was an unresolved transgression I needed to confess. I called my brother, apologized, and asked for his forgiveness, which he promptly and generously gave. My embarrassment and regret would have been less had I apologized when the accident happened.

It was interesting and significant to me that the Lord had not forgotten about that event of the distant past even though I had. Sins do not take care of themselves or simply fade away. Sins do not get “swept under the rug” in the eternal economy of things. They must be dealt with, and the wonderful thing is that because of the Savior’s atoning grace, they can be dealt with in a much happier and less painful manner than directly satisfying offended justice ourselves.

We should also take heart when thinking of a judgment in which nothing is overlooked because this also means that no act of obedience, no kindness, and no good deed however small is ever forgotten, and no corresponding blessing is ever withheld."


I love that last paragraph! And I honestly believe we all do a lot more good than we do bad... Although, I am grateful for the Lord and forgiveness when I am not at my best. Aren't you?

A Broken Bread and Contrite Heart

Why is it that we break the bread? 

Matthew 26:26-28

As I was sitting in church today waiting for the sacramental bread and water to come around I had a thought that inspired me to do better in my life and reflect more deeply on the sacrament each week.

Each week the boys with the priesthood take a piece of bread and carefully break off bite-size pieces much like Christ did when he was with his disciples. At home to make bite-size pieces I use scissors. Much more effective I think;) I guess it just caused me to reflect on the word broken. A few thoughts came into my mind.

Spiritually we are broken and need to be healed. Christ heals me.
The scriptures say that in order to follow Christ we need to have a broken heart and contrite spirit...


Moroni 6:2
Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.


Doctrine and Covenants 59:8-9

 "Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;"


Psalms 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.



And so to me, in this train of thought, once we have accepted that we are broken and are in need of our Savior's healing we then partake of the water which can be representative of our baptism which cleans us and makes us whole again through our Savior's grace. "

Every day we have cause for repenting. None of us are perfect and so we need constant cleansing and purging. I'm thankful that I am able to take the sacrament and reflect each week as I do. And although I think about these things throughout the week, it is a special thing to attend sacrament where they pray over and bless the bread and water for the purpose of bringing us closer to God and it truly has:)