After reading The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs,who took on the daunting task of reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z. I took on a challenge of my own: to read all of the Ensigns available online. And thus, this blog began.
For more info about this challenge and for a review of the above book see my first post.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Love Insurance
"A little boy asked one time, “Mama, why is it that you love me more in the morning than you do at night?”
So, I see by reading this that I am not the only parent who is frazzled by the end of the day! But who doesn't see the wisdom in having insurance: life, home, auto? Why should we not also have some of the most important kind of insurance: " love insurance"?! After all, aren't the greatest commandments of all to love God and to love others?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Oh, Choose Wisely, Holly!
The Sum of Our Decisions...
Richard L. Evans, “The Spoken Word,” Ensign, Jan 1971, 26
"...we, ourselves, must make our choices; ... we must decide, and take our share of responsibilities for our decisions.... Ultimately we become the sum of our decisions—the sum of what we decide."
“To every man there openeth …
A High Way and a Low.
And every man decideth
The way his soul shall go.”
John Oxenham, “The Ways.”
A message short and sweet but one I really like and need to remember: I am the sum of my decisions! Each little choice I make each day adds up to make who I am! Oh, Choose wisely, Holly!
Richard L. Evans, “The Spoken Word,” Ensign, Jan 1971, 26
"...we, ourselves, must make our choices; ... we must decide, and take our share of responsibilities for our decisions.... Ultimately we become the sum of our decisions—the sum of what we decide."
“To every man there openeth …
A High Way and a Low.
And every man decideth
The way his soul shall go.”
John Oxenham, “The Ways.”
A message short and sweet but one I really like and need to remember: I am the sum of my decisions! Each little choice I make each day adds up to make who I am! Oh, Choose wisely, Holly!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Just What I Needed!
I was a little girl when this article "The Women’s Movement:Liberation or Deception?" was written by then Elder (now President) Monson. I didn't have much of an idea of what was going on in the women's movement. I do remember being shocked and very saddened when someone opposed President Kimball during a sustaining in General Conference and I believe it had to do with women's rights but I had no idea Satan had such power over people even back then.
President Monson quotes a magazine (and I quote him) "dealing with “The Motherhood Myth.” This article debunked the idea that there is anything particularly fulfilling and satisfying about being a mother. It quoted one psychiatrist who suggested that people should move from planned parenthood to planned unparenthood and that it would be more loving to children not to have them. The author of the article, a senior editor of the magazine, concluded: “If God were still speaking to us in a voice we could hear, even He would probably say, ‘Be fruitful. Don’t multiply.’ "
As President Monson put it what "idiotic and blatantly false philosophy!!!!"Thankfully God has spoken and still speaks and this is what He has said:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. …”(Gen. 1:3, 6–7, 26–28.)
Again, in these latter days, the Lord counseled: “… marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.” (D&C 49:15–1)
It is quite different! The philosophy of man verses the truth of God! And yet this philosophy of man speaks very powerfully in the world today! I have often heard it, I still hear it even from active members of the Church! and yes at times even from my own thoughts and heart! Sometimes I find myself thinking: "It would be so much easier not to have a family, especially such a large one! It would be wonderful to have a career, and make lots of money, and be able to afford nice things, and have time and resources to have fun, to travel, to be free!" This is a philosophy that I must stand up against and fight!
President Monson went on to say, "Our interests are centered in ourselves. We are preoccupied with material things. Many of us are more concerned about conquering space than about conquering ourselves. We are more dedicated to material security than to inner purity. We give much more thought to what we wear, what we eat, what we drink, and what we can do to relax than we give to what we are."
This pierces my heart. I struggle with selfishness! I covet material things! I haven't tried too hard lately to conquer myself, I have neglected my inner purity! I have sought more for the comforts of this world than to become worthy to return to Heavenly Father! How carefully Satan has distracted me from what really is important and he was able to do it because I have not been feasting on God's word or clinging to the rod.
I don't want to be deceived anymore! I don't want to forget my true identity! I don't want to follow the "Pied Piper of Sin"! I don't want to fail at my divine role of womanhood!
I need to remember who I am and what God expects me to become! My "challenge is to bring all for whom [I am] responsible to a knowledge of this truth!"
President Monson said, I should remember that I have "been endowed by God with distinctive characteristics, gifts, and talents in order that [I] may fulfill a specific mission in the eternal plan." What are my gifts and talents? What is my mission? I need to find the answers to these questions!
I need to take on these three challenges given by President Monson:
first, "sustain your husband" I definitely fall short in this area, just ask Vaughn. Thankfully President Monson tells me how:
“Love your companion. Make him a part of all you do. Your husband is yours. Together you form a partnership with God. Your husband, as the priesthood bearer, is the head of the home. You, the helpmeet, are not the head, but just as important—the heart of the home.
Honor his priesthood, and he will respect your womanhood. Both husband and wife should appreciate that “woman was taken out of man, … not out of his feet to be trampled underfoot, but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” (M. Henry.)
Be patient, be tender, be loving, be considerate, be understanding, be your best self as you sustain your husband." I have some repenting to do and strivings for improvement to make!
second, strengthen your home. Once again President Monson gives wonderful advice: “Home is what the mother makes it.” I want to make my home better! I want to make it a little bit of Heaven on earth! "Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: “… establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88:119.) " A lofty ideal! I will rededicate myself to this formula!
third, serve your God. "What miracles could be accomplished ... each wife resolved to love the Lord her God with all her heart, her might, mind, and strength, and her neighbor as herself. You cannot serve your neighbor without demonstrating your love for God. Your commission is to “Go, gladden the lonely, the dreary; Go, comfort the weeping, the weary; Go, scatter kind deeds on your way; Oh, make the world brighter today!” (“Make the World Brighter,” Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909, p. 197.) Once again a high path to trod but I will commit to serving God by serving others.
It won't be easy to get out of the mud I am in and rise to these challenges but I am going to do it! President Monson has promised that as I do so "the blessings of heaven will attend [me]." I need and want those blessings!
President Monson quotes a magazine (and I quote him) "dealing with “The Motherhood Myth.” This article debunked the idea that there is anything particularly fulfilling and satisfying about being a mother. It quoted one psychiatrist who suggested that people should move from planned parenthood to planned unparenthood and that it would be more loving to children not to have them. The author of the article, a senior editor of the magazine, concluded: “If God were still speaking to us in a voice we could hear, even He would probably say, ‘Be fruitful. Don’t multiply.’ "
As President Monson put it what "idiotic and blatantly false philosophy!!!!"Thankfully God has spoken and still speaks and this is what He has said:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. …”(Gen. 1:3, 6–7, 26–28.)
Again, in these latter days, the Lord counseled: “… marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.” (D&C 49:15–1)
It is quite different! The philosophy of man verses the truth of God! And yet this philosophy of man speaks very powerfully in the world today! I have often heard it, I still hear it even from active members of the Church! and yes at times even from my own thoughts and heart! Sometimes I find myself thinking: "It would be so much easier not to have a family, especially such a large one! It would be wonderful to have a career, and make lots of money, and be able to afford nice things, and have time and resources to have fun, to travel, to be free!" This is a philosophy that I must stand up against and fight!
President Monson went on to say, "Our interests are centered in ourselves. We are preoccupied with material things. Many of us are more concerned about conquering space than about conquering ourselves. We are more dedicated to material security than to inner purity. We give much more thought to what we wear, what we eat, what we drink, and what we can do to relax than we give to what we are."
This pierces my heart. I struggle with selfishness! I covet material things! I haven't tried too hard lately to conquer myself, I have neglected my inner purity! I have sought more for the comforts of this world than to become worthy to return to Heavenly Father! How carefully Satan has distracted me from what really is important and he was able to do it because I have not been feasting on God's word or clinging to the rod.
I don't want to be deceived anymore! I don't want to forget my true identity! I don't want to follow the "Pied Piper of Sin"! I don't want to fail at my divine role of womanhood!
I need to remember who I am and what God expects me to become! My "challenge is to bring all for whom [I am] responsible to a knowledge of this truth!"
President Monson said, I should remember that I have "been endowed by God with distinctive characteristics, gifts, and talents in order that [I] may fulfill a specific mission in the eternal plan." What are my gifts and talents? What is my mission? I need to find the answers to these questions!
I need to take on these three challenges given by President Monson:
first, "sustain your husband" I definitely fall short in this area, just ask Vaughn. Thankfully President Monson tells me how:
“Love your companion. Make him a part of all you do. Your husband is yours. Together you form a partnership with God. Your husband, as the priesthood bearer, is the head of the home. You, the helpmeet, are not the head, but just as important—the heart of the home.
Honor his priesthood, and he will respect your womanhood. Both husband and wife should appreciate that “woman was taken out of man, … not out of his feet to be trampled underfoot, but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” (M. Henry.)
Be patient, be tender, be loving, be considerate, be understanding, be your best self as you sustain your husband." I have some repenting to do and strivings for improvement to make!
second, strengthen your home. Once again President Monson gives wonderful advice: “Home is what the mother makes it.” I want to make my home better! I want to make it a little bit of Heaven on earth! "Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: “… establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88:119.) " A lofty ideal! I will rededicate myself to this formula!
third, serve your God. "What miracles could be accomplished ... each wife resolved to love the Lord her God with all her heart, her might, mind, and strength, and her neighbor as herself. You cannot serve your neighbor without demonstrating your love for God. Your commission is to “Go, gladden the lonely, the dreary; Go, comfort the weeping, the weary; Go, scatter kind deeds on your way; Oh, make the world brighter today!” (“Make the World Brighter,” Deseret Sunday School Songs, 1909, p. 197.) Once again a high path to trod but I will commit to serving God by serving others.
It won't be easy to get out of the mud I am in and rise to these challenges but I am going to do it! President Monson has promised that as I do so "the blessings of heaven will attend [me]." I need and want those blessings!
I Don't Want to be Spiritually Hungry Anymore!
Unfortunately I have been starving myself spiritually! I am not exactly sure why? I was sick and pregnant and now I am overwhelmed and busy...I am sure I could come up with many lame excuses... but no! I am going to turn over a new leaf! I am going to take care of those things that are most important. My top priority will be my spiritual nourishment so that I then can be lead and guided to fulfil my mission and responsibilities. Right now I don't feel that I am doing so well in doing the work Heavenly Father sent me here to do and I know it is because I am not holding firmly to the iron rod!
With that said once again I take up my quest to Feast upon the Words of Christ!
With that said once again I take up my quest to Feast upon the Words of Christ!
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