His Grace is Sufficient

Whether through googlechat, snapchat, hangout, or on the phone, I am pretty sure that I get to talk to Emily every single day. I count myself incredibly lucky. I find her to be constantly wonderfully insightful, practical, encouraging, and enlightening. While I think that she could fill blogs and blogs with her wisdom, I am so happy that she was willing to write a guest post for this little blog. Here are some of her thoughts on grace:

I must begin my admitting that my understanding of grace is limited.  I spent many years thinking that grace was something that Baptists believed in and I was not sure where it fit in with my beliefs.  But, as I have grown and life has happened to me I realize that grace is, like the song says, quite amazing!

I've had a rough couple of years, who hasn't really?  I only say it has been rough because over the last two years I've realized that my life is nothing that I thought it would be, or (ahem) should be (I'm working on that should part).  I have learned also that the best I am capable of in life is different that the best I'm capable of today.  I've only experienced my best ever self on a few rare occasions.  However, often times the best I'm capable of today is far, far from my best ever self.  For a long time I felt like that best of today person wasn't worth anything because it was so far away from my best ever self.  But, the magical thing I've been learning is that our best today self is 100% acceptable to God.  This is where the amazing part of grace comes in.

Brad Wilcox, a bit cheesy at times I know, but hear me out, gave a BYU devotional a couple of years ago entitled "His Grace is Sufficient".  In this he recounts a story of a student that approached him and tells him that she doesn't get grace.  He asks her to explain what she means.  She says, "I know that I need to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection.  But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?"  This question is exactly what I have been wondering myself.  What about those days/weeks/months/years when I know I should offer so much more, but just don't/can't.  Brother Wilcox's response to this query has changed my outlook on grace, the Atonement, my abilities, and life in general.

Brother Wilcox said, "Jesus makes all the difference.  Grace is not about filling gaps.  It is about filling us."  He then illustrates this point by taking a piece of paper and drawing two dots - on at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us.  He then asked the student to draw the line dividing our part from Christ's part.  She went to the center of the page and began to draw a line, but after some further consideration she drew a line just above the bottom dot.  He then explained to her that "the truth was that there is no line. Jesus filled up the whole space.  He paid our debt in full.  He didn't pay it all except for a few coins.  He paid it all.  It is finished."

Brother Wilcox then explains that this does not mean we don't have to do anything.  Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice, we are instead, showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His.  These thoughts have been life altering for me.  Suddenly, I recognize that the best I can do today doesn’t disqualify me.  It's not like Christ is waiting at the finish line once I have done "all I can do."  He is with me every step of the way, He is how I make it to the finish line.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written, "The Savior's gift of grace to us in not necessarily limited in time to 'after' all we can do.  We may receive his grace before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts."  So grace is not some extra power push that we can use when our supply is depleted.  Rather, it is our constant energy source.  As Brother Wilcox says "it is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel.  Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road.  It is received right here and now.”  At this point in the devotional my mind has officially been blown. Grace right now…whaaaat?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said the following:  "Now may I speak...to those buffeted by false insecurity, who though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short...
...This feeling of inadequacy is...normal.  There is no way the Church can honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating a sense of immense distance...
...This is a gospel of grand expectations, but God's grace is sufficient for each of us. (Ensign, November 1976)

I believe this is true. Who hasn’t had the feeling of inadequacy? There are days that my best is showering and only watching two hours of Hulu, and there are some days my best is a whole lot more.  But, the Grace of God is sufficient for me and through Christ the distance between my part and perfection will be covered.  How simply amazing is that?

- Emily 

The Fringe Benefits of Failure

I love this. J.K. Rowling gave this Harvard Commencement speech in 2008. I certainly can't say it any better than she did, but I can say that I have found this to be entirely true:

"Failure gave me an inner security that I have never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will and more discipline than I had suspected. I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies. The knowledge that you have emerged stronger and wiser from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself or the strength your relationships until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift."

There is something incredibly powerful about failing to the point that you should not be able to go on - and coming out of it and living through it. There is something about finding and experiencing  (finally!) the understanding that you are a resilient, brilliant, and cherished child of a Father in Heaven who knows you, loves you, and watches over you. That He really does (surprise!) have a plan for you. He really does know what you need - and what you can handle.  He loves you - just as you are, weaknesses and failures and all. Because all is what he sees. He sees you yesterday, today, and forever - and the weaknesses are swallowed up in the grandeur of what they will become. Which is you.  

So, here's to weakness, here's to failure, here's to life and living. 

You're Better Than You Think You Are

Today was just one of those days. You know? When everything that was bright and sunny in your life suddenly seems wrong. In fact, life seems wrong - you seem wrong. As much as I hate to admit that I have these days, I think it is important to, because we all do. For whatever reason, sometimes we just lose perspective, we lose focus, and we starting listening to, and even buying into, the subtle, sinister whisperings of the adversary. We discredit all of the wonderful things that we have and are - we forget. There is a talk by David S. Baxter that, if I am lucky enough, I try to remember on days like today. Here is one of my favorite sections:

Overcoming Feelings of Inadequacy by Elder David S. Baxter

"First, if we have subjected ourselves to a constant barrage of self-criticism, let us recognize that we are better than we think we are! Elder Maxwell counseled, “Some of us stand before no more harsh a judge than ourselves, a judge who stubbornly refuses to admit much happy evidence and who cares nothing for due process.” ⁴

When things go wrong in our lives, it is easy to lose all sense of perspective. We forget our divine inheritance, when we should remember that we come from heavenly parents who love us. We are impatient for instant solutions, when often it is the passage of time that will allow things to work out. We ignore or downplay our strengths and abilities, just at the time we should be recognizing and applying them. In Johnson Oatman Jr.’s hymn, written more than 100 years ago, we are advised, “Count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” ⁵

A characteristic of a depressed spirit is an over concentration on cares and concerns—an unwise wallowing in feelings of foreboding. What a difference it would make if, instead, we took account of our strengths, raised our eyes off the ground, and gave ourselves credit for how far we have already come and how much we have already achieved.

Let us recognize and make use of our talents, abilities, skills, and capacity instead of allowing these traits to be buried through self-criticism, forgetfulness, and disuse. Let us name our blessings one by one."

On days like today, it is so easy to get wrapped up in everything I am not. I get discouraged by my imperfections and then by the negative emotions that I feel about my imperfections. But you know what? God gives us weaknesses on purpose. They are a purposeful part of who we are. Therefore, I submit that we are, in fact, perfect in our imperfection. Knowing that Lord planned and prepared this life for each of us, we can trust that even when we don't do everything perfectly, we are exactly where we are supposed to be in the midst of a lifelong process of being refined and strengthened.  As one of my very dear friends has said, "You can't out dumb the Lord." Even if your choices or someone else's shifts your life from plan A to plan B, C, D, etc, the Lord can work with that! We are given weaknesses so that we may become humble. And what if, as we suffer about our imperfections, we are not "less than" or wrong or tragic, but are actually being made perfect? What if we could respect those thoughts and feelings as ones that are helping us to become aware of the necessity we have to rely on the atonement of Jesus Christ and not reject them (and ourselves) as unworthy and discouraging?  

What if, as we struggle with our imperfections (sins, character flaws, general humanity) we are actually progressing  just as the Lord would have us progress?  Don't get me wrong, dwelling on weaknesses is not what I am referring to here, but I think that feeling our lack of perfection, experiencing deep emotion and wrestling with weaknesses is a beautiful and sacred process that should be appreciated and not feared or looked down upon. 

I think that most of us can see this in the aggregate. Of course weakness and struggle are a part of the process. But so often, we fail to see it in the moment. What if we could respond to our own weaknesses with the same compassion that we show others, with a compassion like the one the Lord would show us always if we could convince ourselves to accept it? It is these very struggles that can turn our hearts to the Lord, bring us to Him, and allow us to progress in our journey to become more like Him.  So, maybe, you are just where you should be imperfections and all. In fact, I am sure of it. You are doing better than you think you are. 

Make Good Art

When life gets hard, make good art. I love this! Life is for the living and for the taking! Let's really live it! Even tragedy can lead to something absolutely brilliant.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from this wonderful speech by author Neil Gaiman:

"Let go and enjoy the ride, because the ride takes you to some remarkable and unexpected places."

"Be wise, the world needs more wisdom, and if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise and then just behave like they would."

"Make glorious and fantastic mistakes."

I find this totally inspiring. Give it a listen.

Neil Gaiman's commencement speech at Philadelphia’s the University of the Arts 

Things to think about

I love this. I think that there is so much power in positive thinking. We often focus so entirely on preventing pain, difficulty, and tragedy, that we don't have any energy left for creating, loving, enjoying, and really living. What if we swapped where we are putting our energy? What if we could swing our hearts wide open to embrace life, light, chance, and adventure instead of keeping up the layers of walls that not only protect us from pain, but perhaps some measure of joy as well?  What is holding you back? What is shadowing your joy? What is preventing your bliss?  It is worth thinking about.

Guest Post: Sphere of Influence

So as I finished the Bieber movie I had the realization that I have done nothing with my life.

Before you invalidate that statement with your supportive comments, just go with me on it, ok?

How many famous people can you count? There are historical figures, and current celebrities, and people who've made great advances, and even small stories that make the news and lots of people here about. For good or ill, there are a lot of people who've made a big difference in this world. Even JB has made difference. (link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/06/justin-bieber-visits-7-year-old-cancer-patient-utah-hospital_n_2421604.html)

So what in the world am I doing and what should I do? How can I make a difference in someone's life in a big enough way? Aren't we here to help one another? Are not all people of infinite worth? Are others not as deserving as myself? Don't give me the platitudes about "In the world you might just be one person, but to one person you might be the world' or tell me about making a difference to star fish. Let's be real, dude. The facts are these: the world is full of problems and I have something the world needs but it's not enough and that's discouraging.

For example, I was at Dollywood of all places. That week was the Festival of Nations which meant that performers from all over the world were there to feature their countries. There were German stilt polka dancers (talk about a niche job) and some cafe singers from France and mariachis and this kid's singing group from Namibia. That singing group was adorable and sooo good. Then we learned that all of these adorable kids were orphans who's parents had died or abandoned them and the kids were traveling on behalf of their orphanage raising money. Oh, and they only get chicken on Christmas. Talk about ripping my heart out. You can come live with me and I will be your mother and I will give you everything (and all you have to do is give up your culture and everything you know and there will be chicken everyday!). I wanted to save them all. I want to save everyone. Paralyzing and frustrating.

A few days after Dollywood I was in Atlanta touring all the MLK sites and keeping the Namibian children in the back of my mind at all times. At the museum I read about an experience from Dr King during his time in Birmingham, leading the bus boycotts. Dr. King was a preacher from Atlanta. He was asked to lead out in Birmingham because the pastors there, if the boycott didn't work, had too much to lose. Dr King, well he could just go back to Atlanta. So he moved his family there. One night he got a phone call from someone calling him horrible names and threatening him that if he went through with all of it, he'd regret it. Dr. King was understandably upset and couldn't sleep. He went to the kitchen of his house and brainstormed ways that he could exit leadership without seeming like a coward. He was discouraged and depressed (which is a point I think every great leader overcomes because every leader has that moment). Then he began to feel God's presence and a voice seemed to tell him that he had to stand up for righteousness and do God's work. He went forward. A few days later his house was bombed.

Amazing story, no? He was so dedicated to a cause, a mission, that he eventually gave his life for it. To be so influential and make such an impact! *Sigh* Um.... something I noticed however - Dr King did absolutely nothing for orphans in Namibia.

What? Yes. I must point out that Dr King did a great work but, um, he left some people out. He did nothing for Jews in pograms, nothing for the foster care system, nothing for oppression in South America, nothing against the Taliban, nothing for Cubans.

Ok, ok, so you can't save everyone, but who do you save when all are such worthy causes? How do you decide that the orphans get my attention but I'll forget about oppressive political systems.

A few days later I was talking to a friend who lives in Denver. He was telling me how he'd taken a homeless man to dinner and then decided to pay for this man's cell phone. I found the story sweet but thought to myself, "You can't go around doing that. I mean, you can't just do dinner and cell phones for every homeless person." And I'd be right. It'd be unsustainable.

A few days later (am I reinforcing the principle of "line upon line" enough?) I got an email at work about a former coworker who now has stage 4 cancer and there would be a fundraiser held for him. The email invited me to the fundraiser and/or to donate to his care. I seriously had the thought, "I can't just give money to everyone who has cancer!" And I'd be right. Then a still small voice pointed out that the platitudes are right. I can't help every star fish/cancer patient, but I could help this one.

Let's consider this poem quoted by President Thomas S Monson.

Father, where shall I work today?

And my love flowed warm and free.

Then He pointed out a tiny spot

And said, “Tend that for me.”

I answered quickly, “Oh no; not that!

Why, no one would ever see,

No matter how well my work was done;

Not that little place for me.”

And the word He spoke, it was not stern;

He answered me tenderly:

“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.

Art thou working for them or for me?

Nazareth was a little place,

And so was Galilee.”

 

The thing is that I can't do and be everything for everyone, but I can do something for some people. And who should those people be? Whomever the Lord puts in my path - a coworker, a client, a friend, the homeless made, the city of Birmingham. Even Jesus Christ, who literally saved the word, had a relatively small sphere of influence during his short life. Am I greater than He?
So I'm donating to the coworker, I'm visiting teaching, I'm kind to those with whom I work, and I look for chances to make a difference. And I believe the Lord will put me where he wants me so that, on some scale, I can make a MLK difference in my our sphere of influence.

Can I beg you to read just a little more?

Ok, so I've established that we all have spheres of influence. And you are hopefully looking at your life and going, "OK, this is 'tiny spot.'" I'd like to proposed however, that in a lifetime we maybe have many "spots," that our spheres change from time to time.

Consider this from Elder Uchtdorf (link: http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2013/03/your-wonderful-journey-home?lang=eng)

 

"I can now look back on my life and recognize a number of such “journeys” I have taken over time. Not all of them involved crossing mountain ranges or political boundaries; some had more to do with overcoming trials or growing in spirituality. But they were all journeys. I believe that every life is a collection of individual “journey stories.”

I submit for ratification the idea that our spheres are little journeys. So for right now you spheres is what it is, but later it might be different. Julia Child was essentially a spy before she ever became a chef. We may end up with one great "sphere" but we'll at least have many sphere-journeys along the way.  

So enjoy this journey of influence and the next one. And know that you God will put you in the path of those whom you can best influence - that's your mission, should you choose to accept it. I hope the Biebs is enjoying his.

 

-Megan

 

  Martin Luther King Jr Memorial in Atlanta Georgia

Accentuate the Positive

I woke up yesterday with this song in my head:

I have been thinking A LOT about this concept lately. I have been wondering what it is in us that insists on focusing on our faults, deficits, and shortcomings.  What you feed grows and what you starve dies, right? Then WHY are we constantly feeding negative thoughts and perceptions and neglecting to appreciate and honor all of the wonderful things that we do and that we are? We are so careful to be kind and encouraging to those around us, why do we so rarely take the same care with ourselves?

I would encourage you to take some time to think about this. I think that we often feel that we have to focus on our weaknesses to make them strengths. We have to be "humble." I would submit that humility is not recognizing that you are powerless, but recognizing where your power comes from. Marianne Williamson has been famously quoted for expounding on this idea:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Could it really be true that not belittling ourselves could not only build us, but also build those around us? Could we actually grow and progress by focusing on what we would like to/can do well instead of what we aren't doing/can't do well? Could we really embrace who we are as exquisite daughters of a loving Father in Heaven without leaving anyone behind or become self-involved and prideful? Could it actually be true that weaknesses don't necessarily make us weak, but are individualized God-given gifts, given to help us become who He already knows we will be if we will work with him to smooth out the rough edges of our humanity?

I have so many more questions and I certainly don't have all of the answers, but I do know that God doesn't work by shaming, berating, or belittling us and neither should we.

She Will Find What Is Lost by Brian Kershisnik

You are more beautiful than you think you are

My friend Kelly posted this on facebook. I cried when I watched it:

Imagine if you were asked to explain your own beauty to someone. Would you struggle?
Yeah. You and the other 3.5 billion women on the planet.
The reality is that most of us can’t see our own beauty like the people around us can. We’re constantly underestimating ourselves. In fact, only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.
This video will change the way that you think and feel about your own beauty….
An FBI-trained forensic artist, Gil Zamora, created sketches of seven women who were hidden behind a curtain; he used their self-descriptions as the basis of his drawings. Prior to the session with Zamora, each of the women were also asked to spend some time with a stranger – without being told why. Zamora then also drafted sketches from the stranger’s depictions of the women.
And the result? Well, we’ll let you see for yourself.

Vulnerability!

If you don't already know, I LOVE Brene Brown. She is a shame researcher who has incredible insight that I think every woman should be familiar with. Here is some midweek brilliance for you. 

 "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight- and never stop fighting.” 

- e.e. cummings

Have the courage to be imperfect. Have the compassion to be kind to yourself and others. Be willing to believe that what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.  

You are enough.
You are worthy.
You are loved. 

Guest Post: Becoming perfect. Being perfect, Growth.

A few weeks ago my friend Carrie, who is incredibly wise and insightful, shared some thoughts on what "becoming perfect" really means. I loved what she had to say and asked her if she would be willing to share. Lucky for us, she agreed:

When I graduated high school, I seemed pretty stereotypical of an over-achieving
American Mormon kid. I was a good student. I had talents. I am a Caucasian. I can
be cheerful. I worked hard. Up until that point, everything made sense. I didn’t have
sex cause I was too young and I didn’t want to get married or get pregnant. I didn’t
want to drink alcohol or do drugs because I saw the impacts of that on many of my
friends. I had amazing church leaders who truly served and exemplified Christ and
doing good. After graduating high school, I realized that there was a “traditional”
path that was in front of me that I was told would lead to my happiness and well-
being. Being a dutiful Mormon, I did my best to follow that path, but sometimes
at the cost of what I thought was really my true path. These points of divergence
from the “traditional path” and what felt like “my path” included transferring
from an aggressive art program to BYU, not going on a mission due to a prospect
of marriage, getting married young despite my desires to develop other talents
outside of a marriage, and trying to rationalize and defend aspects of church policy
or practice that fundamentally were opposed by my conscience. These points of
divergence left me feeling stagnant and somewhat powerless in many areas of my
life.

I believe that following this “traditional path” is the tool that many of use in our
pursuit to become perfect. Maybe for you this traditional path includes getting
married before the age of 25 and/or having 3-7 children before the age of 32. Maybe
for others it is having the angelic and meek nature of many women. For others it may
be becoming more domestic or serving all the time. For others it may be abiding by all
the rules from the handbook, even after your mission. For others it is about maintaining
that perfect figure. For others it may be avoiding pain. Many elements of this traditional
path are good and worthy aspects of what may constitute anyone’s path. But I
worry that we may be selling ourselves short by limiting our path and goals to these
basic checklist items that avoid pain, which may lead us to make decisions and take
actions which leave us feeling incomplete, unsatisfied, or stalled.

In an attempt to re-asses what “becoming perfect” was really about. I started
thinking about what I would tell my 18-year-old self. I would challenge her to
think about what would actually make her become the woman God wanted her to.
I would let her know that her feelings of being guided by God to work and travel
internationally and address gross human rights concerns were truly inspired. I
would let her know that she shouldn’t go to BYU because it was culturally such a
poor fit for her. That pain she saw around her in the form of poverty, depravity,
depression, etc. was not necessarily a sign of things going wrong that she had to fix,
but one more layer to the portrait that would become her image. I would let her
know that she should not be surprised that her dancing and artistry was not just a
hobby, but did not have to be a professional pursuit for it to be a gift from God that
she should maintain throughout her life. I would tell her that she should let the shelf
break that held all of her concerns about the church; this break would be the most
honest way for her to trust God and expand her faith.

In short, I would tell this 18 year old version of myself that most of the challenges
she might face would cause sorrow and may temporarily make her different than
others, but it would also produce a richness and texture in her life that would
create the layers and fullness that makes life worth living. I would remind her that
many of the layers on the canvas would be on top of each other covering pervious
understanding and image. But they would also add the literal depth to the painting.
Other times the paint would blend with elements from a previous tradition and
sometimes it would clash and a hard decision would need to be made about what
paint was to be used. But the overall goal, was that you ended up painting the
picture of what God wanted you to become in your life. As long as I’ve done that,
I’ve felt as though I’ve been honest with my God, with myself and am growing in a
way to become perfected through out life.

- Carrie

Easter Sunday

My Bishop recently remarked that Easter is the "highest holy day" for the Mormons. It is true. This is the day that we remember, honor, and celebrate all that our Savior has done for us. We celebrate his life and his sacrifice, both on Calvary and in Gethsemane. We celebrate his resurrection and the knowledge that we have that he lives. 

He does live. He cares for us deeply. He weeps with us when our hearts break. He stands by, always at the ready, to answer our cries for comfort. He loves us more than we can understand. In times of darkness or difficulty, he is the light that will bring us back home. 

At times, that guiding light may be obscured by the darkness of the world, or the weight of grief or difficulty that we carry, but it is always there, always bright, and always burning. And we can be assured that the darkness will always flee and that the light of Christ is all that will remain. There are such wonderful things in store for us.

I am grateful for hope. I am grateful for perspective. I am grateful for loving reminders that so often come just when I need them. I am grateful for the knowledge of a loving Savior. I am grateful to know that he knows me. I am so grateful to know that I can trust him. I am grateful to know that because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, Sunday WILL always come.  

As this Easter Sunday is coming to a close, I just wanted to share a little portion of one of my favorite talks from Elder Wirthlin.  

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:16-18, 38-39

Happy Easter!

Love from Elder Holland

Elder Holland spoke at the Silicon Valley Education Conference 2 weeks ago. He is an incredible man and a very powerful speaker. He focused on how much the Lord loves us, and that  He loves us as we are. He told us to remember that, "God loves broken things."  I think it is true that the Lord gives us extra care/takes extra care when we are suffering. He is so aware of what we are going through. He knows what we are going through, he knows our hearts, he knows our tears, and he also knows what we are to become - which is something glorious. He never forgets our worth. He never forgets who we are to him - his very, very  precious children. How different would our lives be if we could never forget how loved we are of God?  

Just in case you could use a little reminder, these quotes come from Elder Holland's talk, Because of Your Faith. 

"In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you. No, don’t turn and look at your neighbor. I am talking to you!

...I have struggled to find an adequate way to tell you how loved of God you are and how grateful we on this stand are for you. I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

...No one of you is insignificant, in part because you make the gospel of Jesus Christ what it is—a living reminder of His grace and mercy, a private but powerful manifestation in small villages and large cities of the good He did and the life He gave bringing peace and salvation to other people."

Advice from me and Elder Busche

Sometimes when the negative voices in my world get too loud, I find it very helpful to seek perspective. It is so easy to get lost in the notions that we aren't enough, that we don't deserve to be loved, that we aren't worthy of love, or that we aren't as good as those around us. I don't know why, but sometimes it is so easy for us to forget who we are. 

This video, to me, is a lovely reminder of the Lord's love for us. It helps me shift my perspective and gain a greater understanding of what I can do to feel at peace with myself, the Lord, and those around me. 

I recommend that you find a quiet place to listen to this, remove any distractions and just take some time to be still. You won't regret it. 

Dedication

To my best ladies,

You inspire me. You have taught me what it means to be strong, what it means to be faithful, what it means to love, and to be loved. You have given me a safe place to laugh, to rant, to rejoice, to cry -  to be myself.  You have given me perspective and hope. You have shown me courage, empathy, vulnerability, determination, loyalty, and true friendship.  While it isn't much, this is my attempt to return a small portion of what you have given me, to help you to see how incredible you truly are and how more-than-enough you will always be.

This project is for you.