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.