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?