Cast Out Fear

Along our path of life we all encounter "bumps in the road" and upon reflection I have often allowed fear to visit me during those bumps in the road. I heard somewhere recently that fear is just the absence of faith so wouldn't it be prudent to cast out the fear to allow faith to grow? I had this question answered to me this morning as I studied Mark 9:23 where it reads; "Jesus said unto him, 'If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.'" Webster's defines believe as; to have religious faith. We must not, or in other words I must not, allow fear to hinder progression in life. I must foster faith with the belief that these "bumps in the road" are teaching moments and continue on my journey with joy.

In the Tablets of my Mind

In Romans 2:15, the Apostle Paul taught that we ourselves are a record of our life. In the March 8,1865 edition of the Deseret News, President John Taylor said, "The individual tells the story himself, and bears witness against himself...That record that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own mind, that record that cannot lie will in that day be unfolded before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges."

This profound lesson I learned in church yesterday has caused serious soul-searching for me as I reflect on my life thus far. I pray with a fervent and humble heart that the "tablets of my mind" will show a pleasing picture before God and his angels and those who shall sit as judges. I know I fall short but with the power of the Atonement and HIS mercy I pray I can repent and try to do better each day starting now.

Glad Passages

While enjoying my walk/jog this morning I had an epiphany. Recently, I have had reoccurring thoughts of my amazing Bishop that served in our ward when we first moved to San Clemente years ago. One of the reasons he was so impressive is because of his memorization of scriptures. He would be able to stand at the pulpit and recite scripture like no one I have ever seen. One of his practices that impressed on my mind was this clever idea he implemented in his life. He would carry around this key-ring like holder, which had little index cards of scripture he had collected over the years. Then, while he was in line at the bank or waiting for an appointment he would take this little ring out of his pocket and read them. This has enabled him to memorize a lot of scripture. I have been studying the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) every morning. This is where my epiphany came into play this morning. When I was exercising I thought of the classic movie, Pollyanna, which stars Hayley Mills. In this movie Pollyanna introduces the idea of Glad Passages to the town minister played by Karl Malden. Essentially Glad Passages are messages of Joy written throughout the Bible. When I was jogging this morning I felt prompted to begin my own key-ring like holder like my dear Bishop carried, containing my own Glad Passages, so-to-speak. I knew there were already scriptures in Matthew I wanted to write on these cards. I am very excited to begin this new project and I now have something new sitting beside my scriptures....index cards and a pen. I will write down the scriptures that speak to Susan and then when I am waiting in line somewhere I can take my ring out and feast on my own Glad Passages.

Land of the Free

I just returned from a program entitled, America: A Promised Land, and I wept because it was so powerful. Songs were performed, including all of the Armed Forces theme hymns, and I thought of all of the brave men and women who have fought to keep America the Land of the Free. The program ended with the lights going out in the room, the choir sang America the Beautiful accompanied by a PowerPoint slide presentation showing the landscape across America. I noticed that I was not the only one with tears flowing down my cheeks. I am a native Californian and have only been out of this gorgeous state a couple of times. It is my goal and my prayer to be able to visit and see this great country of ours instead of seeing pictures of it. As we celebrate the birth of the United States of America we must (and should) remember our fellow countrymen (and women) who have fought, and continue to fight, for our freedoms we enjoy.

Prayer for Divine Vision

I marvel at different perspectives seen (or heard) from people. Yesterday at church I listened to two talks on the subject of love. As I was listening the message the spirit wanted me to hear was a powerful lesson for Susan, which has caused me to repent and to pray for more Divine Vision. A few weeks back I returned to an old email address I had a long time ago. I wanted to delete basically junk mail. I was surprised and saddened to find a message sent to me from one of my participants from a pool class I taught six years ago informing me that one of our dear friends (Mike) from that class had died. Not only did I feel sad for this sweet man's passing but I also felt regret for not responding to this participant until that very day when I went back into that old email address. I had often thought of Mike because even after I stopped teaching this class we would write emails to each other catching up on our lives. I periodically wondered why I had not heard from Mike but that was as far as I got....just thinking and wondering about him. The last three years have been challenging for me and my faith has been tried but I realized during these talks yesterday that my misery is no excuse for not having divine vision and leaving myself to serve others. My lesson yesterday struck a deep chord in my heart and it is my prayer that I can, and will, act upon the promptings I receive (regardless of any personal trials I may be facing) and serve HIS children with the love HE has given me.

Sanctuary

May I suggest to the reader to find sanctuary somewhere in your home. I have found that my sanctuary (or my secret place) is of great importance in my day-to-day living. I go to this place, light a candle, and I sit and pray and just meditate while gazing into the soft candlelight. Sometimes this can only be for a few minutes while other times I have perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes. The thought I would like to share with you though is how calming this small ritual has become in my life. This simple action gives me pause to center myself and just "Be."

Thoughts to Accompany that Smile

I read recently that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile so if that's the case, shouldn't that be a goal of ours to smile more often? I walk-jog every morning and while I am exercising I use this opportunity to pray. After reading this article on smiling I have decided to really concentrate on smiling (even during the grueling hill I must climb in our neighborhood). Now, you may wonder; "What kinds of happy thoughts can I form to accompany this smile?" I will share with you some that I incorporate like; "I am thankful I have this body to exercise," or "I enjoy the sound of the birds greeting me this morning," or "I am thankful I have eyes to see this beautiful sunrise." While driving my car and smiling I think thoughts like; "I love this music playing on my CD player," or "How much I love my family," or "How grateful I am to have such incredible friends." It's really amazing how these two simple things; smiling and thoughts can change your perspective of the day. In my morning prayers, I always ask that I can be "wise with my moments" because that's what we truly have...are moments and I am finding that since I have begun this practice of smiling and uplifting thoughts it has improved my outlook. Try it and see if it makes a difference in you and share your thoughts with me if you would like.