Well that's weird, I usually always have an idea of what I want to write on. Writing for me is a way to express what I feel inwardly. I usually write the best when I am the most sentimental about something, or at least when I feel the most on that specific subject. Right now I don't know what to say. This entire week has been one of those weeks where you feel so unproductive and so lazy. I feel like a movie junkie.
It's like I am sitting here waiting for my life to get started. When that will happen I have no idea. If you can't tell, I am being slightly sarcastic. I am very good at that. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you it's true. Actually they might just answer you back with sarcasm themselves. So that's where I get it. Hmm...
It's like my mom has always told me, vacations are good but eventually you have to get back on track. I want to get back on track, it's just a question of whether or not I choose to stop being lazy.
The problem is this, I often wait for circumstances to dictate whether or not I should work hard or just sit around. I keep telling myself that things will get better when I start work next week. Hmm... we'll see about that.
I have talked about this before. I just wrote a wonderful paper on how the mind can work to benefit the human body and that people have the ability to control and monitor the mind. I know very well that I can choose right now to get up off my butt and go do something. But will I? Why is it so hard for human beings to be happy? I mean that in the sense that we have such a hard time choosing to be happy and I will tell you right now that life was not meant to be absolute bliss. If we choose to let circumstance dictate our happiness then we are going to be miserable forever.
Sad as it is that's the way it will be. There's a reason God gave us free agency, the ability to choose. And there is a reason he gives us trials. Wouldn't you know it? Those things go hand in hand. Go figure. You can tie in everything if you really want to. He gives us trials so that we can choose to be happy.
There I have said it. I suppose that is the topic of what I am writing on today. Ok now to make myself feel slightly better, there will be hard times. There always are, but there are good times too and I think that when I remember the good and happy times I can be happy even when I am laying in bed wondering what to do with myself.
So maybe I will be more inventive next time. I know that this topic is the underlying theme in all of my blog posts so far. I would ask my readers to forgive me for that but know that maybe this is something I need to understand better.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Positive Thinking- Actual facts to support what I have believed in all along.
Thinking Positive
Human beings have always had the ability and the need to work and be industrious. As a species they are naturally inclined to want to accomplish something of worth, not only because it says something about their character but also because it is necessary for them to succeed in this highly competitive world. Because human beings have a natural desire to live in good situations, it is necessary for them to be surrounded by those things that are positive and uplifting. Individuals have the ability to affect their mental and physical well being with the way they perceive and react to different circumstances, as well as through their natural ability to accomplish more good by harnessing the mind’s power to generate a positive attitude.
Recent studies on the brain have shown that the human body feels and responds in a way that relates with what the mind is thinking. Researchers at Wake Forest University have discovered that the mind has the power to relieve pain. A study was done in which the researchers observed ten volunteers, each having a heat simulator applied to their legs, at the same time having their brains scanned to visualize the brain activity of each individual. Each volunteer was taught to anticipate different amounts of pain, whether mild or severe based on a signal given before each stimulus of pain from the heat simulator. On some of the severe stimuli, incorrect signals were given so as to make the subjects anticipate less pain than they would actually receive. On these occasions, each of the ten volunteers said that the pain was less because they had expected less pain (Daily Good, Positive Thinking a Pain Reliever). Pain, like all other responses of the body comes from the brain. The brain sends a signal to the nervous system and the response is a feeling of pain. These reactions are simply the brain responding to an outside force. What many people do not fully understand is the extensive power of the mind to control how the body reacts to certain things; even the physical wellness of the human body can be affected by the thought process of the human brain.
Although some experts doubt the ability of the brain to affect the immune system directly, many studies have shown otherwise. Recent studies have proven that people who maintain a high level of stress or depression are more likely to be susceptible to heart disease and have a higher chance of getting a cold or the flu (Goode, “Positive Thinking may have a Health Benefit, Study Says”). Naturally when a person is stressed about something, they become focused on that one thing, allowing it to consume them. In effect, not only does their outlook on other aspects of their life turn negative but it also affects their physical wellness when they allow themselves to become so wrapped up in a single problem.
People, who choose to be happy with life and to focus on the positive things that surround them, are more likely to be healthy and less prone to illness. The same goes for people who are exposed to positive things. A study done at the University of Wisconsin showed that people who experience negative emotions demonstrate a weaker immune response. They asserted that the greater the electrical activity in the right prefrontal cortex of the brain the more weak a person’s immune response was going to be. On the other hand, activity in the left prefrontal cortex predicted a stronger immune response. Dr. Davidson, one of the researchers at the university had found in a previous study that the regions of the right prefrontal cortex are active during those times when a person feels emotions of anger, fear or sadness. The regions of the left were more active when associated with positive emotions, such as enthusiasm or excitement (Goode, Positive Thinking may have a health Benefit, Study Says).
Because positive thinking can lead to such positive results, it is important and necessary that the human race experience good things that uplift the mind to think in positive terms. When a human being experiences positive emotions it changes them inwardly. The results can be astounding when a human being experiences this change that comes from exposure to good and uplifting things.
Doctor Masaru Emoto demonstrates this by experimenting with water. In his experiment he took bottles of water and exposed them to different words or phrases as well as to different pieces of music. He then photographed the resulting crystals that were created when the water was frozen. His first experiment was with music. By placing a bottle of water between two stereo speakers Emoto was able to create various crystals, based on the type of music that the water was exposed to. He stated:
The results astounded us. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, with its bright and clear tones, resulted in beautiful and well formed crystals. Mozart’s 40th symphony, a graceful prayer to beauty, created crystals that were delicate and elegant… All the classical music that we exposed the water to resulted in well formed crystals with distinct characteristics. In contrast, the water exposed to violent heavy metal music resulted in fragmented and malformed crystals at best. (Emoto xxiv)
Next, Emoto experimented with words by taping a piece of paper, with words written on it such as thank you or fool, around the bottle with the words facing inward. Of this experiment he wrote: “The results of the experiments didn’t disappoint us. Water exposed to “Thank you” formed beautiful hexagonal crystals, but water exposed to the word “Fool” produced crystals similar to the water exposed to heavy metal music, malformed and fragmented” (Emoto xxv).
From these experiments Emoto gathered that if water responds in such a positive way to good and uplifting things then why not a human respond in a similar way? He goes on to explain that the human body is made up of 70 % water and because of this the human body is just as much susceptible to reacting in the way that the bottles of water did, when exposed to different types of music and different words. Emoto states that throughout a human’s life they exist mostly as water, resulting in the fact that they are more likely to respond to an experiment of this nature, because it applies to each human being as they exist (Emoto xv). Emoto illustrates that the water in the human body physically changes when a person is exposed to positive and beautiful music, pictures, words or experiences. He asserts that people responded to his book with such enthusiasm because when they saw the pictures of the crystals, the water inside of them physically changed and responded to the photographs (Emoto 133).
The change in a person who chooses to respond to what life throws at them, in a positive way not only undergoes a change within themselves but they also experience a change on the outside. People notice the difference in someone who is happy vs. someone who is pessimistic in life. What people don’t realize is that they are seeing an actual physical, outward change. It’s not just in how the person acts or speaks, but there is a certain glow about them. When other people look at these types of individuals they, without realizing it, notice that there is certain brightness about those people who choose to perceive the world at its best.
Naturally the mind is a fascinating instrument that, if used properly and indefinitely, can accomplish anything. The mind is at the core of the body, and it has the power to control all of reality, within the mind sphere of an individual. People are what they believe themselves to be. If they believe that they are inferior and limited in their capabilities, then they are. If they believe they are limitless then it’s true, they can do anything.
A study done in 1989 on free throw shooting in basketball illustrated this concept. Various members of a basketball team were separated into three different groups. One of the groups was told to practice every day for twenty minutes, another group was told not to practice at all, while the final group was told to spend twenty minutes each day imagining themselves making every free throw. Of the three groups, the ones who did not practice didn’t improve at all, those who did practice improved their shots 24% while those who imagined themselves succeeding at each shot improved by 23% (Richardson 109).
This study shows the great power of the mind, in its ability to control how individuals perceive the reality that is around them. Because the players believed or imagined themselves succeeding at making every shot they improved by 23 %; simply because they imagined themselves being able to do it.
From personal experience, my parents have always stressed to me and my four younger siblings a vital truth, in that we as human beings are what we tell ourselves to be. I remember several occasions when I struggled to work on a math assignment, discouragement threatening to overwhelm me. My mother would sit at my side, encouraging me to move forward. I would reply in despair “I can’t do this.” My mother would always respond with a gentle but firm “if you tell yourself that you can’t, it’s true, you can’t do this assignment.”
I have since learned my capacity to accomplish anything that I set my mind to. Experiences such as running a race to the end or struggling with a specific fingering in a concerto that I am learning on my violin have all taught me to persevere. In the end I always find myself moving one step further as I accomplish task after task, simply by telling myself that I can, even when I feel as if I have no strength left to finish.
Author Jeff Gee suggests that a positive outlook on life is the basis for leading a successful life. He says: “If we have a great attitude about life, we can handle virtually anything that life throws at us… Sure life can be stressful… but if you decide that you are an amazing human being who can do anything, then the traffic, the weather, and your work won’t bother you (Gee qtd. in The Power of Positive Thought).
Having a positive outlook on life can enable a person to do anything that they want to do. As long as a person has the desire to succeed in life and has a positive attitude about it, they will find themselves with the ability to harness the mind’s power to create an existence in which they themselves are the ones who will determine their reality.
Works Cited
DailyGood. 5 September 2005. 10 December 2009.
Emoto, Masaur. The Hidden Messages in Water. Hillsboro: Beyond Words Publishing, 2004.
Goode, Erica. The New York Times. 2 September 2003. 9 December 2009.
Nealy, Michelle J. "Encylopedia Britannica." November 2006. Britannica. 10 December 2009.
Richardson, Brent. Working with Challenging Youth: Lessons Learned Along the Way. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis, 2001.
Human beings have always had the ability and the need to work and be industrious. As a species they are naturally inclined to want to accomplish something of worth, not only because it says something about their character but also because it is necessary for them to succeed in this highly competitive world. Because human beings have a natural desire to live in good situations, it is necessary for them to be surrounded by those things that are positive and uplifting. Individuals have the ability to affect their mental and physical well being with the way they perceive and react to different circumstances, as well as through their natural ability to accomplish more good by harnessing the mind’s power to generate a positive attitude.
Recent studies on the brain have shown that the human body feels and responds in a way that relates with what the mind is thinking. Researchers at Wake Forest University have discovered that the mind has the power to relieve pain. A study was done in which the researchers observed ten volunteers, each having a heat simulator applied to their legs, at the same time having their brains scanned to visualize the brain activity of each individual. Each volunteer was taught to anticipate different amounts of pain, whether mild or severe based on a signal given before each stimulus of pain from the heat simulator. On some of the severe stimuli, incorrect signals were given so as to make the subjects anticipate less pain than they would actually receive. On these occasions, each of the ten volunteers said that the pain was less because they had expected less pain (Daily Good, Positive Thinking a Pain Reliever). Pain, like all other responses of the body comes from the brain. The brain sends a signal to the nervous system and the response is a feeling of pain. These reactions are simply the brain responding to an outside force. What many people do not fully understand is the extensive power of the mind to control how the body reacts to certain things; even the physical wellness of the human body can be affected by the thought process of the human brain.
Although some experts doubt the ability of the brain to affect the immune system directly, many studies have shown otherwise. Recent studies have proven that people who maintain a high level of stress or depression are more likely to be susceptible to heart disease and have a higher chance of getting a cold or the flu (Goode, “Positive Thinking may have a Health Benefit, Study Says”). Naturally when a person is stressed about something, they become focused on that one thing, allowing it to consume them. In effect, not only does their outlook on other aspects of their life turn negative but it also affects their physical wellness when they allow themselves to become so wrapped up in a single problem.
People, who choose to be happy with life and to focus on the positive things that surround them, are more likely to be healthy and less prone to illness. The same goes for people who are exposed to positive things. A study done at the University of Wisconsin showed that people who experience negative emotions demonstrate a weaker immune response. They asserted that the greater the electrical activity in the right prefrontal cortex of the brain the more weak a person’s immune response was going to be. On the other hand, activity in the left prefrontal cortex predicted a stronger immune response. Dr. Davidson, one of the researchers at the university had found in a previous study that the regions of the right prefrontal cortex are active during those times when a person feels emotions of anger, fear or sadness. The regions of the left were more active when associated with positive emotions, such as enthusiasm or excitement (Goode, Positive Thinking may have a health Benefit, Study Says).
Because positive thinking can lead to such positive results, it is important and necessary that the human race experience good things that uplift the mind to think in positive terms. When a human being experiences positive emotions it changes them inwardly. The results can be astounding when a human being experiences this change that comes from exposure to good and uplifting things.
Doctor Masaru Emoto demonstrates this by experimenting with water. In his experiment he took bottles of water and exposed them to different words or phrases as well as to different pieces of music. He then photographed the resulting crystals that were created when the water was frozen. His first experiment was with music. By placing a bottle of water between two stereo speakers Emoto was able to create various crystals, based on the type of music that the water was exposed to. He stated:
The results astounded us. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, with its bright and clear tones, resulted in beautiful and well formed crystals. Mozart’s 40th symphony, a graceful prayer to beauty, created crystals that were delicate and elegant… All the classical music that we exposed the water to resulted in well formed crystals with distinct characteristics. In contrast, the water exposed to violent heavy metal music resulted in fragmented and malformed crystals at best. (Emoto xxiv)
Next, Emoto experimented with words by taping a piece of paper, with words written on it such as thank you or fool, around the bottle with the words facing inward. Of this experiment he wrote: “The results of the experiments didn’t disappoint us. Water exposed to “Thank you” formed beautiful hexagonal crystals, but water exposed to the word “Fool” produced crystals similar to the water exposed to heavy metal music, malformed and fragmented” (Emoto xxv).
From these experiments Emoto gathered that if water responds in such a positive way to good and uplifting things then why not a human respond in a similar way? He goes on to explain that the human body is made up of 70 % water and because of this the human body is just as much susceptible to reacting in the way that the bottles of water did, when exposed to different types of music and different words. Emoto states that throughout a human’s life they exist mostly as water, resulting in the fact that they are more likely to respond to an experiment of this nature, because it applies to each human being as they exist (Emoto xv). Emoto illustrates that the water in the human body physically changes when a person is exposed to positive and beautiful music, pictures, words or experiences. He asserts that people responded to his book with such enthusiasm because when they saw the pictures of the crystals, the water inside of them physically changed and responded to the photographs (Emoto 133).
The change in a person who chooses to respond to what life throws at them, in a positive way not only undergoes a change within themselves but they also experience a change on the outside. People notice the difference in someone who is happy vs. someone who is pessimistic in life. What people don’t realize is that they are seeing an actual physical, outward change. It’s not just in how the person acts or speaks, but there is a certain glow about them. When other people look at these types of individuals they, without realizing it, notice that there is certain brightness about those people who choose to perceive the world at its best.
Naturally the mind is a fascinating instrument that, if used properly and indefinitely, can accomplish anything. The mind is at the core of the body, and it has the power to control all of reality, within the mind sphere of an individual. People are what they believe themselves to be. If they believe that they are inferior and limited in their capabilities, then they are. If they believe they are limitless then it’s true, they can do anything.
A study done in 1989 on free throw shooting in basketball illustrated this concept. Various members of a basketball team were separated into three different groups. One of the groups was told to practice every day for twenty minutes, another group was told not to practice at all, while the final group was told to spend twenty minutes each day imagining themselves making every free throw. Of the three groups, the ones who did not practice didn’t improve at all, those who did practice improved their shots 24% while those who imagined themselves succeeding at each shot improved by 23% (Richardson 109).
This study shows the great power of the mind, in its ability to control how individuals perceive the reality that is around them. Because the players believed or imagined themselves succeeding at making every shot they improved by 23 %; simply because they imagined themselves being able to do it.
From personal experience, my parents have always stressed to me and my four younger siblings a vital truth, in that we as human beings are what we tell ourselves to be. I remember several occasions when I struggled to work on a math assignment, discouragement threatening to overwhelm me. My mother would sit at my side, encouraging me to move forward. I would reply in despair “I can’t do this.” My mother would always respond with a gentle but firm “if you tell yourself that you can’t, it’s true, you can’t do this assignment.”
I have since learned my capacity to accomplish anything that I set my mind to. Experiences such as running a race to the end or struggling with a specific fingering in a concerto that I am learning on my violin have all taught me to persevere. In the end I always find myself moving one step further as I accomplish task after task, simply by telling myself that I can, even when I feel as if I have no strength left to finish.
Author Jeff Gee suggests that a positive outlook on life is the basis for leading a successful life. He says: “If we have a great attitude about life, we can handle virtually anything that life throws at us… Sure life can be stressful… but if you decide that you are an amazing human being who can do anything, then the traffic, the weather, and your work won’t bother you (Gee qtd. in The Power of Positive Thought).
Having a positive outlook on life can enable a person to do anything that they want to do. As long as a person has the desire to succeed in life and has a positive attitude about it, they will find themselves with the ability to harness the mind’s power to create an existence in which they themselves are the ones who will determine their reality.
Works Cited
DailyGood. 5 September 2005. 10 December 2009
Emoto, Masaur. The Hidden Messages in Water. Hillsboro: Beyond Words Publishing, 2004.
Goode, Erica. The New York Times. 2 September 2003. 9 December 2009
Nealy, Michelle J. "Encylopedia Britannica." November 2006. Britannica. 10 December 2009
Richardson, Brent. Working with Challenging Youth: Lessons Learned Along the Way. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis, 2001.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Homesick....?
If you think about it we are all strangers to this planet. This is simply not our home. We were created by our Heavenly Father in the pre-mortal existence and he is in very deed our Father. We all know or at least have felt that feeling of homesickness, at being away from that which is familiar, that which we call home.
As a teenager, each summer I had the opportunity to travel away from my home and family, on tours all over the United States as well as into Mexico and Canada with a community choir that I was in. I remember the very first tour that I went on; we went to Mexico the summer that I turned 12 years old. I traveled alone without the company of my parents, and being that I am the oldest in my family I had no older siblings to go with me.
At this point in my life I was too young and adventurous to really miss home while on this trip. I rarely gave home a second thought. But as time went on and I began to get older, I started to miss my home, my friends and my wonderful mother more and more. I began to realize my first feelings of homesickness, a new and unplanned emotion that began to entangle itself in the pit of my stomach. I was unsure how to deal with it. All I knew was that I wanted my mother and I wanted to be home where I felt loved, safe and secure.
I am willing to bet that everyone has felt this emotion at one time or another in their lives. I have felt it most recently coming up to BYU Idaho to begin my college career. We are all searching for a way to fit in, a place where we belong and that feeling of security.
Despite how much some may choose to believe otherwise, there is a reason we do not always feel at home on this strange planet. It's because it is not our home. We are just travelers passing through this frail existence seeking to find our way back to Heaven, our home. We are fighting waves of homesickness everyday as we long for the comfort of a loving Heavenly Parent, familiarity, and a sense that we finally belong somewhere.
An interesting point was brought up in Sacrament Meeting today. The speaker was talking about our reasons for going to Church, reading the scriptures and praying. Why do we do these things and why do we feel so good, so refreshed when we do these things? He said that a companion of his on his mission explained this to him by simply saying that it is because we miss our Father in Heaven. Simple as that sounds, it really struck me as I realized the reality of the statement. I did miss my father in Heaven.
We may be away from our homes for a little while, studying abroad or whatever you want to call it. But no matter how far away from our Father in Heaven we are, we still long to be with him, to talk to him and to feel and experience some familiarity while we are away from our home for a time. Church, the scriptures, prayer, these are just some of the ways in which we do this.
I remember talking to my mom a short time ago and telling her my reasons for going to church. I told her that with all the things I am dealing with in my life right now, I could not handle not going to church. I cannot afford to not go. It is one of the things in my life that keeps me going rather than letting my "homesickness" grief, despair or whatever overwhelm me and drag me down.
It was with great clarity that I realized, as the speaker talked about this, that I do miss my Heavenly Father and I miss home. I get homesick all the time, even when I don't realize that I do. But, when I do go to church I feel a sort of relief almost like when I go home to see my mortal, earthly family on a weekend. When I am at church with other people who are striving for and living similar standards as I am, with the same goals in mind, I feel at peace like I belong somewhere, and suddenly I don't feel so homesick anymore. I am home.
As a teenager, each summer I had the opportunity to travel away from my home and family, on tours all over the United States as well as into Mexico and Canada with a community choir that I was in. I remember the very first tour that I went on; we went to Mexico the summer that I turned 12 years old. I traveled alone without the company of my parents, and being that I am the oldest in my family I had no older siblings to go with me.
At this point in my life I was too young and adventurous to really miss home while on this trip. I rarely gave home a second thought. But as time went on and I began to get older, I started to miss my home, my friends and my wonderful mother more and more. I began to realize my first feelings of homesickness, a new and unplanned emotion that began to entangle itself in the pit of my stomach. I was unsure how to deal with it. All I knew was that I wanted my mother and I wanted to be home where I felt loved, safe and secure.
I am willing to bet that everyone has felt this emotion at one time or another in their lives. I have felt it most recently coming up to BYU Idaho to begin my college career. We are all searching for a way to fit in, a place where we belong and that feeling of security.
Despite how much some may choose to believe otherwise, there is a reason we do not always feel at home on this strange planet. It's because it is not our home. We are just travelers passing through this frail existence seeking to find our way back to Heaven, our home. We are fighting waves of homesickness everyday as we long for the comfort of a loving Heavenly Parent, familiarity, and a sense that we finally belong somewhere.
An interesting point was brought up in Sacrament Meeting today. The speaker was talking about our reasons for going to Church, reading the scriptures and praying. Why do we do these things and why do we feel so good, so refreshed when we do these things? He said that a companion of his on his mission explained this to him by simply saying that it is because we miss our Father in Heaven. Simple as that sounds, it really struck me as I realized the reality of the statement. I did miss my father in Heaven.
We may be away from our homes for a little while, studying abroad or whatever you want to call it. But no matter how far away from our Father in Heaven we are, we still long to be with him, to talk to him and to feel and experience some familiarity while we are away from our home for a time. Church, the scriptures, prayer, these are just some of the ways in which we do this.
I remember talking to my mom a short time ago and telling her my reasons for going to church. I told her that with all the things I am dealing with in my life right now, I could not handle not going to church. I cannot afford to not go. It is one of the things in my life that keeps me going rather than letting my "homesickness" grief, despair or whatever overwhelm me and drag me down.
It was with great clarity that I realized, as the speaker talked about this, that I do miss my Heavenly Father and I miss home. I get homesick all the time, even when I don't realize that I do. But, when I do go to church I feel a sort of relief almost like when I go home to see my mortal, earthly family on a weekend. When I am at church with other people who are striving for and living similar standards as I am, with the same goals in mind, I feel at peace like I belong somewhere, and suddenly I don't feel so homesick anymore. I am home.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Prayer- Communicating with the Almighty
From the moment we arrived on this earth we needed help and guidance to learn how to function in society. We are constantly learning and growing through interaction, experience and trial and error. Sometimes we learn things on our own, other times we have to ask when we don’t know how to do something.
Imagine your first day of college. Your parents are sending you off into the big world full of uncertainties and new experiences. Your mom is in tears, she doesn’t want to let you go. There are so many things she wishes she had told you, so many things that you have yet to experience. You say good bye, and as you turn to leave your dad says “Remember, if you need anything we’re just a phone call away.”
I imagine that this is very much what our goodbye in Heaven was like. As we prepared to come down to earth our loving Heavenly Father sent us off with a gentle reminder to pray if we ever needed him. Prayer is our Father in heaven’s way of communicating with us. He knew that this life was not going to be easy and that we would need a lot of help. He sent us down with friends and put us in family units so that we would have help in the trying times ahead. But he also gave us something extra special to help us on our journey.
Despite the fact that we were sent down to loving parents to take care of us while on earth and away from our heavenly home, Heavenly Father knew that our loving parents were also children of his own, learning and growing from lives experiences just as much as the child they are charged to take care of. That is why he gave us prayer; it is a life line that allows us a direct call to our Heavenly Father whenever we need him. The scriptures teach us “Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8)
Our Father in heaven does not ask us to do this alone. In fact he knows that we can’t do it alone. President James E. Faust taught: “Each of has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength. That source is the God of heaven, to whom we pray in the name of Christ.” (James E. Faust, 59 or 67) God knew that we would reach points in our lives where obstacles stood in the way. But the Lord also promised us that he would never give us anything that we can’t handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” God will not give us anything that we can’t do or handle. He meant for us to succeed and he will give us a way to escape, that escape is also known as prayer.
Christ taught that we must “watch and pray lest we enter into temptation.” (Mark 14: 38) God wants us to use the life line that he has given us. He didn’t send us down here to fend for ourselves but rather to exercise our free agency and learn and grow through lives experiences with his help.
Why do we pray? What is so important about prayer that we are constantly reminded of its importance and function in our lives? Prophets throughout history have told us to pray always and not faint. (2Nep 32: 9) In Mosiah Chapter four verse eleven King Benjamin tells us that we must retain in remembrance that we are nothing and that we must humble ourselves and pray to the Lord daily.
Without God we are nothing, we wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. Prayer may be a lifeline to direct help from the Lord but it is also a way for us to show the Lord that we care and love him and that we are grateful to him. We should always recognize the Lord’s hand in our lives and praying to him daily is one of the ways to do this.
Throughout the scriptures there are many examples of this. Lehi and his family always thanked the Lord in prayer for the blessings they had been given; after Nephi and his brothers brought back the plates the offered up sacrifice and burnt offerings, giving thanks unto the Lord. (1 Nephi 5: 9)
Other reasons for prayer are to remain close to our Father in heaven. The best way to maintain a good relationship with someone is to talk to them. Imagine how our Heavenly Father must feel when we do not talk to him. He loves us so much and it hurts him when we do not return that love by calling upon him. By talking to and listening to him through prayer we become better in tune with his spirit and we are better prepared to receive personal revelation. The more we talk to him the better we come to know his voice and the more likely we will be to hear him calling to us. Alma 5:60 says “And now I say unto you the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep.” We must become familiar with the voice of the shepherd so that we will recognize the call when it comes.
Prayer is a great source of guidance. Throughout our lives we have to make many different decisions. We decide where we go to school, who to marry and when, what classes to take; so many questions and so many choices that we have to make in our lives. Heavenly Father knows everything, and he knows what will make us the most happy. He wants to help but we must first go to him in prayer. He cannot nor will he force a decision upon us. We always have our free agency and therefore we must go to him first. “Pray always, and I will pour out my spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.” (D&C 19:38) The Lord has blessings that he wants to give us; all we have to do is ask in humble and sincere prayer.
How do we pray? Christ gave us specific instruction on how to pray. When we pray we need to be mindful of who we are speaking to, we must offer the respect that our Heavenly Father deserves. Russell M. Nelson said “We can use right words- special pronouns- in reference to deity. While worldly manners of daily dress and speech are becoming more casual, we have been asked to protect the formal, proper language of prayer. In prayer we use the respectful pronouns, Thee, Thou, Thy and Thine instead of You, Your and Yours. Doing so helps us to be humble.” (Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers, 47) Showing proper respect for the Lord will enhance our prayers and they will become more sincere. In our prayers we begin by addressing our Heavenly Father and closing in the name of Jesus Christ.
When we pray we do not always need to make them long. Especially in public, keeping the prayer simple will only enhance the prayer and add to the spirit. Russell M. Nelson stated “A closing prayer in a church meeting need not include a summary of each message and should not become an unscheduled sermon.” (Russell M. Nelson- Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers, 46) The Lord will hear and answer all our prayers no matter the length, time spent or things said. Joseph F. Smith counseled “there is such a thing as overdoing. A man may fast and pray till he kills himself, and there isn’t any necessity for it; nor wisdom in it… The Lord can hear a simple prayer, offered in faith, in half a dozen words, and he will recognize fasting that may not continue more than twenty-four hours, just as readily and as effectually as he will answer a prayer of a thousand words, and fasting for a month… The Lord will accept that which is enough, with a great deal more pleasure and satisfaction than that which is too much and unnecessary.” (Joseph F. Smith-133-134)
We must also beware of praying to be noticed. We do not pray to get glory or praise of the world. We pray because we are talking to our Father in Heaven. “And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray… that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” (3 Nephi 13: 5) When we pray to be noticed we are not being sincere in our prayer, neither are we showing the proper love and respect towards our Heavenly Father when we call upon his name.
Our Father has told us to pray in secret, not to get glory of the world. 3 Nephi 13:6 teaches “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” Heavenly Father knows our capabilities and therefore he will only expect what we can give. Even the shortest prayer, if it is sincere will mean so much to our Heavenly Father and he will answer us when and how he sees fit.
When should we pray? The prophets have counseled us to pray always. Alma teaches “counsel with the Lord in all thy doings. When thou liest down at night, lie down unto the Lord that he might watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.” (Alma 37:37) When we council with Lord in all things he can then direct us in the best possible way. We will have great success if we involve the Lord in our everyday lives.
We should pray at least in the morning and at night and before our meals. However, there is no limit to how much time you spend talking to God. You can pray as often as your heart desires. Our Father in heaven loves to hear from us. Jesus Christ told his disciples to always keep a prayer in their hearts. (3 Nephi 20:1)
David A. Bednar taught “Morning and evening prayers- and all of the prayers in between- are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to pray always.” (David Bednar- Pray Always, 42) As long as we keep a prayer in our hearts and pray unto the Lord in the mornings, throughout the day and in the evenings before we go to bed we will always have the Lord’s spirit to be with us. We will feel closer to the Lord’s love and we will feel his hand in our lives as he guides and directs us towards our ultimate goal of Eternal Life.
Alma 37:36 teaches us “…cry unto God for all thy support… let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea let the affections of thy heart be placed on the Lord forever…” We should always pray to God. We need to pray to him when we are discouraged or struggling just as much as we need to pray and thank him when we have had a good day. We must communicate with our loving Heavenly Father as often as possible, and even when we are not on our knees praying to him it is still important to keep him in our thoughts and in our hearts.
There will be days of struggle and heartache, when we think we can go on no longer. It will seem as if we are sinking into the depths of despair. We will feel tempted to just give up rather than turn to the Lord. President Monson said “At times there appears to be no light at the tunnels end- no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Father in heaven in faith. He will lift you, and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.” (Thomas S. Monson- Looking Back and looking Forward, 90)
God gave us prayer as a lifeline. Using prayer we can call upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to save us when we feel like we are drowning; just as Peter called to the Master “Save me” when he began to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. (Matt. 14:30) Sometimes we will feel discouraged and begin to lose faith when we see the winds and torrents billowing up around us. But we must remember that all we have to do is call out to the master and he will be there for us immediately.
Just as we might make a call home when we are discouraged with an assignment in school or stressed for a test that is coming up, we can also make a one way call to our Heavenly Father in times of need, despair, discouragement or confusion. He knows all the answers for the exam. He may not give us the answers, but he will always take the time to listen and offer help where he sees fit. The Lord will never abandon us, he is always there; you just have to dial the number.
Works Cited
-The Standard Works
-Book of Mormon- Student Manual Religion 121-122- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT, 2009
-James E. Faust- Conference report, Apr. 2002, (67) or Ensign, May, 2002, (59)
-Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers- Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May, 2008, (46-49)
-Joseph F. Smith- Conference Report, Oct. 1912, (133-134)
-Pray Always- David A. Bednar, Ensign Nov. 2008 (41-44)
-Looking Back and Moving Forward- Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2008, (87-90)
-lds.org
-http://scriptures.lds.org/
Imagine your first day of college. Your parents are sending you off into the big world full of uncertainties and new experiences. Your mom is in tears, she doesn’t want to let you go. There are so many things she wishes she had told you, so many things that you have yet to experience. You say good bye, and as you turn to leave your dad says “Remember, if you need anything we’re just a phone call away.”
I imagine that this is very much what our goodbye in Heaven was like. As we prepared to come down to earth our loving Heavenly Father sent us off with a gentle reminder to pray if we ever needed him. Prayer is our Father in heaven’s way of communicating with us. He knew that this life was not going to be easy and that we would need a lot of help. He sent us down with friends and put us in family units so that we would have help in the trying times ahead. But he also gave us something extra special to help us on our journey.
Despite the fact that we were sent down to loving parents to take care of us while on earth and away from our heavenly home, Heavenly Father knew that our loving parents were also children of his own, learning and growing from lives experiences just as much as the child they are charged to take care of. That is why he gave us prayer; it is a life line that allows us a direct call to our Heavenly Father whenever we need him. The scriptures teach us “Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8)
Our Father in heaven does not ask us to do this alone. In fact he knows that we can’t do it alone. President James E. Faust taught: “Each of has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength. That source is the God of heaven, to whom we pray in the name of Christ.” (James E. Faust, 59 or 67) God knew that we would reach points in our lives where obstacles stood in the way. But the Lord also promised us that he would never give us anything that we can’t handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” God will not give us anything that we can’t do or handle. He meant for us to succeed and he will give us a way to escape, that escape is also known as prayer.
Christ taught that we must “watch and pray lest we enter into temptation.” (Mark 14: 38) God wants us to use the life line that he has given us. He didn’t send us down here to fend for ourselves but rather to exercise our free agency and learn and grow through lives experiences with his help.
Why do we pray? What is so important about prayer that we are constantly reminded of its importance and function in our lives? Prophets throughout history have told us to pray always and not faint. (2Nep 32: 9) In Mosiah Chapter four verse eleven King Benjamin tells us that we must retain in remembrance that we are nothing and that we must humble ourselves and pray to the Lord daily.
Without God we are nothing, we wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. Prayer may be a lifeline to direct help from the Lord but it is also a way for us to show the Lord that we care and love him and that we are grateful to him. We should always recognize the Lord’s hand in our lives and praying to him daily is one of the ways to do this.
Throughout the scriptures there are many examples of this. Lehi and his family always thanked the Lord in prayer for the blessings they had been given; after Nephi and his brothers brought back the plates the offered up sacrifice and burnt offerings, giving thanks unto the Lord. (1 Nephi 5: 9)
Other reasons for prayer are to remain close to our Father in heaven. The best way to maintain a good relationship with someone is to talk to them. Imagine how our Heavenly Father must feel when we do not talk to him. He loves us so much and it hurts him when we do not return that love by calling upon him. By talking to and listening to him through prayer we become better in tune with his spirit and we are better prepared to receive personal revelation. The more we talk to him the better we come to know his voice and the more likely we will be to hear him calling to us. Alma 5:60 says “And now I say unto you the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep.” We must become familiar with the voice of the shepherd so that we will recognize the call when it comes.
Prayer is a great source of guidance. Throughout our lives we have to make many different decisions. We decide where we go to school, who to marry and when, what classes to take; so many questions and so many choices that we have to make in our lives. Heavenly Father knows everything, and he knows what will make us the most happy. He wants to help but we must first go to him in prayer. He cannot nor will he force a decision upon us. We always have our free agency and therefore we must go to him first. “Pray always, and I will pour out my spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.” (D&C 19:38) The Lord has blessings that he wants to give us; all we have to do is ask in humble and sincere prayer.
How do we pray? Christ gave us specific instruction on how to pray. When we pray we need to be mindful of who we are speaking to, we must offer the respect that our Heavenly Father deserves. Russell M. Nelson said “We can use right words- special pronouns- in reference to deity. While worldly manners of daily dress and speech are becoming more casual, we have been asked to protect the formal, proper language of prayer. In prayer we use the respectful pronouns, Thee, Thou, Thy and Thine instead of You, Your and Yours. Doing so helps us to be humble.” (Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers, 47) Showing proper respect for the Lord will enhance our prayers and they will become more sincere. In our prayers we begin by addressing our Heavenly Father and closing in the name of Jesus Christ.
When we pray we do not always need to make them long. Especially in public, keeping the prayer simple will only enhance the prayer and add to the spirit. Russell M. Nelson stated “A closing prayer in a church meeting need not include a summary of each message and should not become an unscheduled sermon.” (Russell M. Nelson- Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers, 46) The Lord will hear and answer all our prayers no matter the length, time spent or things said. Joseph F. Smith counseled “there is such a thing as overdoing. A man may fast and pray till he kills himself, and there isn’t any necessity for it; nor wisdom in it… The Lord can hear a simple prayer, offered in faith, in half a dozen words, and he will recognize fasting that may not continue more than twenty-four hours, just as readily and as effectually as he will answer a prayer of a thousand words, and fasting for a month… The Lord will accept that which is enough, with a great deal more pleasure and satisfaction than that which is too much and unnecessary.” (Joseph F. Smith-133-134)
We must also beware of praying to be noticed. We do not pray to get glory or praise of the world. We pray because we are talking to our Father in Heaven. “And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray… that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.” (3 Nephi 13: 5) When we pray to be noticed we are not being sincere in our prayer, neither are we showing the proper love and respect towards our Heavenly Father when we call upon his name.
Our Father has told us to pray in secret, not to get glory of the world. 3 Nephi 13:6 teaches “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” Heavenly Father knows our capabilities and therefore he will only expect what we can give. Even the shortest prayer, if it is sincere will mean so much to our Heavenly Father and he will answer us when and how he sees fit.
When should we pray? The prophets have counseled us to pray always. Alma teaches “counsel with the Lord in all thy doings. When thou liest down at night, lie down unto the Lord that he might watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.” (Alma 37:37) When we council with Lord in all things he can then direct us in the best possible way. We will have great success if we involve the Lord in our everyday lives.
We should pray at least in the morning and at night and before our meals. However, there is no limit to how much time you spend talking to God. You can pray as often as your heart desires. Our Father in heaven loves to hear from us. Jesus Christ told his disciples to always keep a prayer in their hearts. (3 Nephi 20:1)
David A. Bednar taught “Morning and evening prayers- and all of the prayers in between- are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to pray always.” (David Bednar- Pray Always, 42) As long as we keep a prayer in our hearts and pray unto the Lord in the mornings, throughout the day and in the evenings before we go to bed we will always have the Lord’s spirit to be with us. We will feel closer to the Lord’s love and we will feel his hand in our lives as he guides and directs us towards our ultimate goal of Eternal Life.
Alma 37:36 teaches us “…cry unto God for all thy support… let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea let the affections of thy heart be placed on the Lord forever…” We should always pray to God. We need to pray to him when we are discouraged or struggling just as much as we need to pray and thank him when we have had a good day. We must communicate with our loving Heavenly Father as often as possible, and even when we are not on our knees praying to him it is still important to keep him in our thoughts and in our hearts.
There will be days of struggle and heartache, when we think we can go on no longer. It will seem as if we are sinking into the depths of despair. We will feel tempted to just give up rather than turn to the Lord. President Monson said “At times there appears to be no light at the tunnels end- no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Father in heaven in faith. He will lift you, and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.” (Thomas S. Monson- Looking Back and looking Forward, 90)
God gave us prayer as a lifeline. Using prayer we can call upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to save us when we feel like we are drowning; just as Peter called to the Master “Save me” when he began to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. (Matt. 14:30) Sometimes we will feel discouraged and begin to lose faith when we see the winds and torrents billowing up around us. But we must remember that all we have to do is call out to the master and he will be there for us immediately.
Just as we might make a call home when we are discouraged with an assignment in school or stressed for a test that is coming up, we can also make a one way call to our Heavenly Father in times of need, despair, discouragement or confusion. He knows all the answers for the exam. He may not give us the answers, but he will always take the time to listen and offer help where he sees fit. The Lord will never abandon us, he is always there; you just have to dial the number.
Works Cited
-The Standard Works
-Book of Mormon- Student Manual Religion 121-122- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT, 2009
-James E. Faust- Conference report, Apr. 2002, (67) or Ensign, May, 2002, (59)
-Lessons from the Lord’s Prayers- Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May, 2008, (46-49)
-Joseph F. Smith- Conference Report, Oct. 1912, (133-134)
-Pray Always- David A. Bednar, Ensign Nov. 2008 (41-44)
-Looking Back and Moving Forward- Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2008, (87-90)
-lds.org
-http://scriptures.lds.org/
Saturday, September 26, 2009
This I Believe
God does not make life difficult in order to laugh at our feeble attempts, but rather because he loves us and he knows that in the end it will strengthen us…
It was as if I had been pushing the inevitable to the back of my mind, unwilling to face the truth of what was to come. We walked over to the counter and placed our tickets on top. I scanned the glass case underneath the countertop, in which lay an array of prizes; ranging from a small rubber bouncy ball to a rather large stuffed animal. The woman at the counter counted up our tickets and pointed to the top shelf, telling us, we could choose from any of the items there. My younger siblings, eager as ever to claim their prizes, immediately began pointing at the desired objects. My eyes glanced over a few of the items, a bouncy ball, some Laffy Taffy’s, some stickers as well as other miscellaneous things. Nothing seemed to interest me.
I began to feel a lump growing in the back of my throat. The excitement and fun of the day now over, I was left with inevitable staring me in the face. Unable to run from it any longer, the tears began to well up in my eyes. I looked over to where my family still sat, investigating the prizes. My dad looked over his shoulder at me. “Do you know what you want?” He asked gently. I mumbled something about letting the boys use my tickets and wandered over to a solitary bench, sitting down.
A few moments later my dad appeared at my side and sat down next to me. I stared off towards the golf course forcing my thoughts to turn away from the pain. Fathers showing children how to hit the golf ball towards the hole in the center of a sea of green, their laughter and cries of frustration when the ball narrowly missed the hole; it all seemed so unreal.
“What’s wrong?” My dad ventured. I paused, trying to get a hold of my emotions and the turmoil that was threatening to burst forth at any moment. With a shaky voice I said: “I don’t want you to leave.”
My dad stared back and answered “I don’t want to go either…. But I have to. I know it will be hard for me to leave you guys and mom. It will be really weird at first, but I will still call you and we can talk over the phone.” He paused. “Besides, the time will fly by, and before you know it I’ll be back.” I stared up at my dad, feeling slightly better and more in control at having spoken the words that expressed what I had been feeling, but had not wanted to realize. Slowly we both stood and embraced. Tears began to flow freely now as I wrapped my arms around the man who meant the most to me, the man that I respected, looked up to and admired. He smiled down at me and I smiled back as we both turned to rejoin our family.
The following morning, overcast as it was, saw us saying good bye to dad and sending him off to fight for the freedom of our country. Saying goodbye was hard, and I am positive that it was not easy for my dad to have to leave us and go to war in another country. Reflecting back on it now, I wonder why my dad had felt so strongly that he needed to stay in the army even after his first activation. It has occurred to me that the Lord may have had something in store for our family. God was not mocking our happiness, nor was he putting us to the test because of a lack of love or concern for our wellbeing. No indeed, his very purpose in giving us this trial was so that we could grow together and become stronger for it.
I will never forget the lessons learned from that experience in our lives. My mom and dad put extreme faith in the Lord by trusting him when my dad felt the need to stay in the army. There were things that he saw and learned there that he could never have experienced elsewhere. There were things that we learned as a family that could only be learned through this experience. And we are better for it because we now trust in the Lord and feel his love for us each and every day.
It was as if I had been pushing the inevitable to the back of my mind, unwilling to face the truth of what was to come. We walked over to the counter and placed our tickets on top. I scanned the glass case underneath the countertop, in which lay an array of prizes; ranging from a small rubber bouncy ball to a rather large stuffed animal. The woman at the counter counted up our tickets and pointed to the top shelf, telling us, we could choose from any of the items there. My younger siblings, eager as ever to claim their prizes, immediately began pointing at the desired objects. My eyes glanced over a few of the items, a bouncy ball, some Laffy Taffy’s, some stickers as well as other miscellaneous things. Nothing seemed to interest me.
I began to feel a lump growing in the back of my throat. The excitement and fun of the day now over, I was left with inevitable staring me in the face. Unable to run from it any longer, the tears began to well up in my eyes. I looked over to where my family still sat, investigating the prizes. My dad looked over his shoulder at me. “Do you know what you want?” He asked gently. I mumbled something about letting the boys use my tickets and wandered over to a solitary bench, sitting down.
A few moments later my dad appeared at my side and sat down next to me. I stared off towards the golf course forcing my thoughts to turn away from the pain. Fathers showing children how to hit the golf ball towards the hole in the center of a sea of green, their laughter and cries of frustration when the ball narrowly missed the hole; it all seemed so unreal.
“What’s wrong?” My dad ventured. I paused, trying to get a hold of my emotions and the turmoil that was threatening to burst forth at any moment. With a shaky voice I said: “I don’t want you to leave.”
My dad stared back and answered “I don’t want to go either…. But I have to. I know it will be hard for me to leave you guys and mom. It will be really weird at first, but I will still call you and we can talk over the phone.” He paused. “Besides, the time will fly by, and before you know it I’ll be back.” I stared up at my dad, feeling slightly better and more in control at having spoken the words that expressed what I had been feeling, but had not wanted to realize. Slowly we both stood and embraced. Tears began to flow freely now as I wrapped my arms around the man who meant the most to me, the man that I respected, looked up to and admired. He smiled down at me and I smiled back as we both turned to rejoin our family.
The following morning, overcast as it was, saw us saying good bye to dad and sending him off to fight for the freedom of our country. Saying goodbye was hard, and I am positive that it was not easy for my dad to have to leave us and go to war in another country. Reflecting back on it now, I wonder why my dad had felt so strongly that he needed to stay in the army even after his first activation. It has occurred to me that the Lord may have had something in store for our family. God was not mocking our happiness, nor was he putting us to the test because of a lack of love or concern for our wellbeing. No indeed, his very purpose in giving us this trial was so that we could grow together and become stronger for it.
I will never forget the lessons learned from that experience in our lives. My mom and dad put extreme faith in the Lord by trusting him when my dad felt the need to stay in the army. There were things that he saw and learned there that he could never have experienced elsewhere. There were things that we learned as a family that could only be learned through this experience. And we are better for it because we now trust in the Lord and feel his love for us each and every day.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Finding and Making Friends that will Last an Eternity
What exactly makes the difference between a friend, a best friend and an acquaintance? A big part of it probably has to do with the experiences you go through together. A friend relationship that has gone through some struggles and some really hard times together is likely to last a much longer time than another friend relationship.
I find that when you really, truly care about someone, and you serve them, you also create a bond that lasts longer, into the eternities. Giving to others is one of the best ways to better yourself and it will always gain you many good friends.
I have found some wonderful friends that have helped me in so many ways and they are always there for me even when I don't deserve it. Constantly when I find myself depressed or hurting inside I immediately have friends or family members that I can call or text and they always help and comfort me.
Some of my very best friends are my family members. My sister and my mom have been the biggest support to me since I came to College. I have been here one week and already it is hard, very hard. Certain circumstances have discouraged me, but my family has been there to pick me right back up again.
I would like to dedicate this blog to a few people. First of all my family: Mom and Dad, Cache, Mauri, Jacob and Brett. I love you guys sooo much. Next I want to recognize my dearest and closest friends: Jordan, Robert, Janae, Julia, Parker and Donovan. And also to my newest friend, Sarah. I don't know if I would have been able to survive this week without her. I love you all, never forget that I am always thinking about you. Thanks for always being there and looking out for me when I needed it the most.
I find that when you really, truly care about someone, and you serve them, you also create a bond that lasts longer, into the eternities. Giving to others is one of the best ways to better yourself and it will always gain you many good friends.
I have found some wonderful friends that have helped me in so many ways and they are always there for me even when I don't deserve it. Constantly when I find myself depressed or hurting inside I immediately have friends or family members that I can call or text and they always help and comfort me.
Some of my very best friends are my family members. My sister and my mom have been the biggest support to me since I came to College. I have been here one week and already it is hard, very hard. Certain circumstances have discouraged me, but my family has been there to pick me right back up again.
I would like to dedicate this blog to a few people. First of all my family: Mom and Dad, Cache, Mauri, Jacob and Brett. I love you guys sooo much. Next I want to recognize my dearest and closest friends: Jordan, Robert, Janae, Julia, Parker and Donovan. And also to my newest friend, Sarah. I don't know if I would have been able to survive this week without her. I love you all, never forget that I am always thinking about you. Thanks for always being there and looking out for me when I needed it the most.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Toast for Change
Sometimes we find ourselves dreading the future. Why is that? I believe that it is because we, as natural human beings, fear the unknown. Imagine if you were the first person ever to go to school, to get married or to have a baby. I think that would be a very interesting experience as well as a frightening one. At least we have someone who has done it before us, someone who can sort of give us an idea of what to expect.
Change is not a bad thing, in fact sometimes it is a very good thing. Some people thrive on change; often times they get bored without new circumstances to keep their attention. I am one of these people, I like change. But sometimes it can be a scary thing, because it is new and I am not sure what to expect from it. I am attending College up at BYU-Idaho in two weeks and I can tell you that the thought of it all is somewhat frightening but also exciting.
I am a little nervous because my circumstances are going to change from having a mommy always there to take care me to me having to take care of myself. Not an easy change; however I am still looking forward to it because I see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Mom and Dad will not always be there; that is simply not how it works. Change is inevitable so what we must do is take it in stride always having a good attitude.
I would also like to dedicate this blog to changing things in our lives for the better. This is America that we live in. We have the opportunity to change our lives and to move on to bigger and better things. Don't tell me that is impossible because I know that it is not. Things might seem pretty desperate at the moment but soon enough you will make it over that mountain and you will get to where the grass is greener. So let us make a toast for change, change for the better and live long and prosper.
Change is not a bad thing, in fact sometimes it is a very good thing. Some people thrive on change; often times they get bored without new circumstances to keep their attention. I am one of these people, I like change. But sometimes it can be a scary thing, because it is new and I am not sure what to expect from it. I am attending College up at BYU-Idaho in two weeks and I can tell you that the thought of it all is somewhat frightening but also exciting.
I am a little nervous because my circumstances are going to change from having a mommy always there to take care me to me having to take care of myself. Not an easy change; however I am still looking forward to it because I see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Mom and Dad will not always be there; that is simply not how it works. Change is inevitable so what we must do is take it in stride always having a good attitude.
I would also like to dedicate this blog to changing things in our lives for the better. This is America that we live in. We have the opportunity to change our lives and to move on to bigger and better things. Don't tell me that is impossible because I know that it is not. Things might seem pretty desperate at the moment but soon enough you will make it over that mountain and you will get to where the grass is greener. So let us make a toast for change, change for the better and live long and prosper.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Whose in control, your Brain or You?
Just this past week I had the opportunity to attend Education Week on BYU Campus in Provo, UT. I took a class there that talked a lot about how we have the ability to change our mindset or our attitude about anything. One comment that the teacher made was that we have control over our brains, not the other way around.
Our brains are incredible, and they can do amazing things as long as this is the desire in our hearts. Our entire body was built to function together in a way that is most efficient.
When I was little and I would get frustrated about school work I would always say to myself "I can't do this, this is impossible." My mom would reply to me that if I continued to say this to myself, it would eventually be true. Our brains are programmed in such a way that if we tell ourselves something enough times eventually it becomes reality and we start to actually believe it. It works the other way around as well. If we tell ourselves that we can do something eventually we will be able to work ourselves to the point that we can do it.
I have experience with this in running; it is amazing what brain power can do when the rest of your body wants to give up. I remember on a few occasions when my body was so tired and exhausted that I didn't think I would be able to finish my race. It was on these occasions when I told myself that I could do it, that I was able to keep going and I found a strength deep within myself that I did not think I had. Always on that last lap in the mile or the two mile or whatever it is, you think that you have nothing left but if you just tell yourself that you can, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Sometimes what we think or rather what we allow our brains to think is not always the right thing; we know this because we have the light of Christ, or in other words a conscience, that allows us to determine right from wrong. No matter what our minds may be thinking or what people tell us to think, our heart and our spirit know differently.
We might be having a bad day where it just seems like everything is going wrong. I am here to tell you that this is all in your head... literally. Our brains are funny things and it seems that we are often distracted with what we see around us and with outside influences. But the fact of the matter is, we don't have to believe any of it.
I have known amazing people who, it seems, are always happy no matter what tragedies might come at them in their lives. I never cease to be amazed at these people and their ability to choose happiness no matter how bad the circumstances. Your circumstances do not determine your happiness, or rather they shouldn't.
Dale Carnegie said: "Happiness does not depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions." You are in control of what makes you happy or unhappy. If you want to change your life, start by simply changing your thoughts; you will be amazed at the power and control that you do have in your life.
Our brains are incredible, and they can do amazing things as long as this is the desire in our hearts. Our entire body was built to function together in a way that is most efficient.
When I was little and I would get frustrated about school work I would always say to myself "I can't do this, this is impossible." My mom would reply to me that if I continued to say this to myself, it would eventually be true. Our brains are programmed in such a way that if we tell ourselves something enough times eventually it becomes reality and we start to actually believe it. It works the other way around as well. If we tell ourselves that we can do something eventually we will be able to work ourselves to the point that we can do it.
I have experience with this in running; it is amazing what brain power can do when the rest of your body wants to give up. I remember on a few occasions when my body was so tired and exhausted that I didn't think I would be able to finish my race. It was on these occasions when I told myself that I could do it, that I was able to keep going and I found a strength deep within myself that I did not think I had. Always on that last lap in the mile or the two mile or whatever it is, you think that you have nothing left but if you just tell yourself that you can, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Sometimes what we think or rather what we allow our brains to think is not always the right thing; we know this because we have the light of Christ, or in other words a conscience, that allows us to determine right from wrong. No matter what our minds may be thinking or what people tell us to think, our heart and our spirit know differently.
We might be having a bad day where it just seems like everything is going wrong. I am here to tell you that this is all in your head... literally. Our brains are funny things and it seems that we are often distracted with what we see around us and with outside influences. But the fact of the matter is, we don't have to believe any of it.
I have known amazing people who, it seems, are always happy no matter what tragedies might come at them in their lives. I never cease to be amazed at these people and their ability to choose happiness no matter how bad the circumstances. Your circumstances do not determine your happiness, or rather they shouldn't.
Dale Carnegie said: "Happiness does not depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions." You are in control of what makes you happy or unhappy. If you want to change your life, start by simply changing your thoughts; you will be amazed at the power and control that you do have in your life.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
For the Temple is a Holy Place
Have you ever been in a place so quiet that you don't dare to breathe for fear of breaking a silence so vast you can almost hear it? One of my favorite places in the world to go is to the grounds of LDS temples. There is a peace there that can only be found in the rarest of places. Not very often can we find such places in this world today. A place where you can think, contemplate and ponder without interruption. I remember a time when I was on BYU campus, and while waiting for my dad to finish work I decided to go up to the LDS Provo Temple. I decided that I would walk around behind the temple. As soon as I walked around to the back, it was as if the rest of the world suddenly no longer existed. The quiet was almost deafening, if you know what I mean. But it was a peaceful quiet, a relaxing quiet. I remember just sitting there, feeling an overwhelming sense of peace, of comfort and joy. I knew that just up the hill from where I sat lay a road with cars and homes just across the street. But it was as if a sound barrier had been put up and no sound was allowed to escape into the perimeter surrounding the temple. Even the birds had stopped their singing as a sign of respect to the sacredness of the temple. It was an experience that I will not forget in a hurry. The temple truly is the House of the Lord and it is a very Holy Place. Every temple I have ever been to has had the same feeling of security and peace about it. Just a few weeks ago I had the oppurtunity to go on tour to Idaho, Montanna and Canada with a commuinty choir. We stopped at a couple of different temples, but it was always the same in that each temple seemed so cut off from the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. Walking onto the temple grounds is an amazing and joyous experience. I like to think that leaving the world and going into the temples is a lot like what it is going to be for us when we return back to the gates of Heaven to live with our Heavenly Father in his Heavenly home.
What do I have to cry about?
So many times I have felt depressed or sad and I have just wanted to cry. Sure sometimes crying is good for you. Sometimes it is better to let it out rather than hold everything in. However I have on occasion felt sad for really no apparent reason. I just want to cry because I want comfort and I want attention. The best way to describe this emotion is that I want to cry but I can't. Part of that is because I do not feel like I have any real reason to be upset. It's like I am looking for ways to be unhappy and that is where the problem is. Crying is not a bad thing, it is only when we constantly feel sorry for ourselves that it can be damaging to us. I believe that Satan, the devil and enemy to all mankind, wants us to feel this way because when we are so emotionally down on ourselves it is easier for him to take place in our hearts and to tell us that we are worthless. When we feel sorry for ourselves we are feeling a worldly sorrow rather than a Godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is a selfish sorrow and can only lead us to feel worse about ourselves. So many times we have felt feelings of despair and grief; these feelings are confusing because we do not fully understand what we are so depressed about. The best and only way to get out of this trap is to turn to a loving God who wants nothing more than for us to be happy. He will help us if we just turn to him; I have experienced these desperate feelings of despair. You will feel as though there is nobody to turn to and you will feel helpless; but you are not. Just remember that when you do feel this way and you wonder to yourself why you are so sad or what you have to cry about, remember that the Lord is always just a prayer a way. You just have to make the effort to go to him.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Accepting Ourselves- Getting rid of the Mask
Too often, I think we find that we are unsatisfied with ourselves. We all have various perks that we would like to change. A lot of people find themselves desperately searching for ways to fit in and become one of the crowd. I have in my life time, seen many people fall victim to this; they become in a way two-faced. It can be very annoying and frustrating to see certain people do this, especially when you have seen their other side rather than the mask that they put on for certain people. Don't get me wrong, I have found myself guilty of this at certain times but I also realize that is exhausting, trying to keep up with what you believe others will want to see. The funny thing is that most of the time people really don't care what we are doing. We all worry too much about what others think when really they probably don't even notice. I have come to realize that being myself has gained me just as many friends as I may have had, pretending to be someone that I am not. But the important part is that the friends that I have are the good ones. They may not be popular, and they may not be the best looking or have the best hair or the best clothes, (at least according to the worlds standards) but they are my true friends and they have helped me through so much. I know that if I needed them, they would come immediately to my aid. A friend very dear to me has helped me so much with this. He has taught me that I am perfect the way that God made me. I don't have to be dissatisfied with myself or worry about my imperfections and faults. The reality is that if you find satisfaction with who you are and what you have, you will be the happiest person on this earth.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Are unalienable rights really unalienable?
Recently in my English class we have been reading a book called Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. In this book the subject is brought up of whether or not the unalienable rights mentioned in the United States Declaration of Independence are really unalienable.
In the Declaration of Independence the founding fathers stated "...we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." Unalienable is a word defined as something that is not to be separated, given or taken away. But are these rights really unalienable no matter what the circumstance?
This same book also brings to focus the fact that freedom is not free, nor is anything worthwhile free. I believe this is true, partly because my own dad was in the military and I know for a fact that it is because of him and others that we have our freedom. Someone has to pay the price whether by hard work or by sacrificing their own life.
The founding fathers did not say, when they wrote this into the Declaration, that men are endowed with these unalienable rights as long as they work hard and obey the laws of society. However it is implied that this must occur because we do not live in a perfect world with perfect people. Therefore life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness must be sought after and worked for. Our founding fathers included this passage into the Declaration because they wanted Americans to at least have the opportunity to pursue each of these rights. In most countries people do not have these rights; take China for example. They are only allowed one child and the rest are just killed. Talk about taking away the right to life. As Americans we are lucky, we have the right and the privilege to pursuing happiness, life and liberty.
So are they really without question unalienable rights? Some could argue no. But I think yes, if you choose to work and put forth effort in pursuit of them.
In the Declaration of Independence the founding fathers stated "...we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." Unalienable is a word defined as something that is not to be separated, given or taken away. But are these rights really unalienable no matter what the circumstance?
This same book also brings to focus the fact that freedom is not free, nor is anything worthwhile free. I believe this is true, partly because my own dad was in the military and I know for a fact that it is because of him and others that we have our freedom. Someone has to pay the price whether by hard work or by sacrificing their own life.
The founding fathers did not say, when they wrote this into the Declaration, that men are endowed with these unalienable rights as long as they work hard and obey the laws of society. However it is implied that this must occur because we do not live in a perfect world with perfect people. Therefore life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness must be sought after and worked for. Our founding fathers included this passage into the Declaration because they wanted Americans to at least have the opportunity to pursue each of these rights. In most countries people do not have these rights; take China for example. They are only allowed one child and the rest are just killed. Talk about taking away the right to life. As Americans we are lucky, we have the right and the privilege to pursuing happiness, life and liberty.
So are they really without question unalienable rights? Some could argue no. But I think yes, if you choose to work and put forth effort in pursuit of them.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I did it because I love it
Isn't it funny how some of the hardest things you have to do in life are usually the most worthwhile? Last Saturday I had a violin audition at BYU to get into the music program there. I was so nervous and I started to get that sick feeling inside where you just wish that it was over or that you could turn around and go home. But I didn't go home, I went through with it and it actually wasn't that bad.
Interestingly enough I realized afterwords that I never even had to go through with the audition in the first place. I could have simply said that I didn't want to do it, and that would have been it. I was talking with a teacher at my school and eventually I got around to telling him about the audition and how I hadn't even known I was going to do it until about a week and a half before the actual audition. He then proceeded to ask me why I had decided to do it even though I knew that I only had a little over a week to prepare. I told him- realizing this within myself as I said it- that my reasons for going through with this were because I was passionate about the violin and a simple stage fright wasn't going to back me down, because I knew that I would immensely regret it if I didn't do the audition. After I told him that, he looked at me with a sense of awe and admiration at my determination and will to succeed at something that I love so much.
It is not always going to be easy to accomplish the things that you want most in life, but I guess that is what is so special and unique to a person. Knowing what you want is just part of developing and maintaining your very own personality, allowing you to express yourself with a sense of confidence; and confidence is the key to your success.
Interestingly enough I realized afterwords that I never even had to go through with the audition in the first place. I could have simply said that I didn't want to do it, and that would have been it. I was talking with a teacher at my school and eventually I got around to telling him about the audition and how I hadn't even known I was going to do it until about a week and a half before the actual audition. He then proceeded to ask me why I had decided to do it even though I knew that I only had a little over a week to prepare. I told him- realizing this within myself as I said it- that my reasons for going through with this were because I was passionate about the violin and a simple stage fright wasn't going to back me down, because I knew that I would immensely regret it if I didn't do the audition. After I told him that, he looked at me with a sense of awe and admiration at my determination and will to succeed at something that I love so much.
It is not always going to be easy to accomplish the things that you want most in life, but I guess that is what is so special and unique to a person. Knowing what you want is just part of developing and maintaining your very own personality, allowing you to express yourself with a sense of confidence; and confidence is the key to your success.
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