The worth of souls is great!

As I was walking down the hall to work this morning,

I passed girl who was looking at the ground, avoiding eye contact as we crossed paths.

I don't know why she avoided eye contact, but it got me thinking--

A lot of times we avoid eye contact with people because we feel shame,

Or, maybe for some reason, we are afraid of what we will see in their eyes.

What will we see?

Maybe we'll see reality? 

 (I wrote a post about that in January)

Sometimes, when we look into another person's face, I think we look for reassurance.

Reassurance of our worth, by their reactions to us.

Maybe that's why we fear to look at another's face sometimes,

--Because we're afraid we won't be validated.

I don't know for sure.

But this I do know:

We each, individually, have 

infinite worth.

Forever, always.  

Your worth is unlimited.  Absolute.  

It will never change.

And the same is true for the worth of everyone else around you.

Yes, everyone.

Next time you look at someone's eyes,

Search not for your own worth,

But seek to get a glimpse of theirs.

{photo from lds.org}

:)

- peace - 

Heaven's help is there

this one-minute video is beautiful.

very, very well worth your time.  i promise.

#didyouthinktopray?

this video brought me back to my knees.

Pain

Wandering into my bedroom--

Alone, weary, frustrated.

I collapse to my knees

And utter a silent plea:

Why these feelings?

With so much to be happy about,

Why do I have painful,

Confused, frustrating feelings?

An image comes to mind

A clear and quiet understanding:

You endure the pain of exercise--

Of resistance training,

Of running--

With pleasure and gratitude,

Knowing it will lead to greater gains in strength.

This is no different.

We need food

Our bodies, this world, our lives... are all symbolic of eternal truths.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

{there is beauty in the seemingly insignificant}

peace.

What's in a face?

That's my face.

Isn't it beautiful?  ;)

^^^^^^^^^

Looking at another person's face is one of the most profound ways by which we can lose ourselves, 

and remember another person's innate human value.  Making both of us happier.

^^^^^^^^^

"Hearkening to the call of Christ from His Spirit,

or through another's countenance,

or both, we become genuinely honest, simple, solid, true--

often together with someone we may not have trusted before.

[do you want to be that?  genuine.  honest.  simple.  solid.  true.  i sure do.]

"Whether it is felt in His breast or in ours, 

the Savior's love can achieve what force cannot

because where force calls forth counterforce,

love calls forth love...

"How then shall we come unto Christ...?  

By sacrificing all taking of offense.  

By giving up criticism, impatience, and contempt....

By giving these practices their true name, 

violence, 

and abhorring even their first appearance.  

By renouncing war in every form and 

proclaiming peace....

"Listen attentively to the teacher whose lectures may be a little dry.  

Read with particular care the papers of students who struggle to write.  

Befriend the one who feels different, lost, or lonely.  

Embrace the child who seems to resist you.  

Take seriously the advice of parents who have trouble following that advice themselves.  

Invite to dinner those who lack the graciousness or the means to invite you back.  

Even 'love your enemies, do good to them which hate you' (Luke 6:27)....

"This kind of love is who we really are.... 

And anything less

--judging others and withholding our favor from them--

capitulates to Satan."

[Quote from this speech by C. Terry Warner]

{He's founder of Arbinger Institute, the group that wrote The Anatomy of Peace and Leadership and Self-Deception}

^^^^^^^^^

I have seen through personal experience how true this is.

Join me in putting these promises to the test.

Whether you're renewing your previous commitment, or turning over a new leaf.

Let us forget ourselves, and go to work.

You belong

On the topic of loving people for who they are and appreciating the good in them,
despite their past mistakes and/or experiences:

In short:
I agree.

In long:
Everyone is worthy of love and respect.  We cannot justifiably condemn or judge a person; we don't know what they are going through, or where exactly they're coming from.  We haven't been through it.  We are all human, we all make mistakes, and we can love each other for it!  We can help each other get through our trials, overcome our weaknesses, and seek a better path.  

We can help each other.

I think most people believe this.

And yet, often our interactions with others are only surface-level.  We are too afraid to show what we consider to be weakness, too afraid to be vulnerable to the evaluations of others.  This prevents us from really caring about, connecting with, and reaching out to others--especially those who need us the most.

If we want to change society, if we want to battle the hypocrisy and judgement that we are so quick to see in those around us, we must start within.

Here's the rub:
In order for our culture to become more loving and appreciative,
We ourselves must become more loving and appreciative of others,
And of ourselves.

If we don't love and rejoice in our own goodness, can we truly love and appreciate others?
And if we don't love and appreciate others, how can we expect others to accept us?

We must take that leap of faith by abandoning shame,
ceasing to compare ourselves to others,
and most importantly,
loving God and humbly submitting to His will.

It starts with you.
It starts with me.

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

- Marianne Williamson -

peace out.

Our Savior's Love

I was so moved by how much the Lord loves and cares for this man.

He longs to embrace you, too.

peace.

Just keep swimming! ;)

You know what's beautiful?

Your faith.

It's an amazing, and powerful thing.

And you don't have to be religious to have faith.

All you've got to do is believe what's true, even when you're tempted to doubt.  

Especially when you're tempted to doubt...

But faith,

Is what fuels our ability to push through the hard times,

Knowing that if we are true to what's right,

It will all work out.

Not saying we have to be miserable and put off our rewards until everything's perfect.

Not at all.

But there are inevitably going to be hard times when all you can do is push through.

So do it.

Push your hardest.

No matter what opposition faces you, 

No matter what distractions divert your path,

Get back on the right path,

And keep longing.

Keep trying.

Keep praying.

Keep loving.

Keep moving, and hoping, and working at it.

And I promise, 

You will be rewarded.

God promises,

You will be rewarded:

"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your ^breward in heaven: for so ^cpersecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Matthew 5:12

(I believe this applies even when the persecution is all in your head.)

If your reward hasn't come yet,

It will.

Have faith.

(As much as I love Josh Groban, he's not the most important person who loves you ;) But this song is great.)

If you could see yourself grow and glow are you're going through this,

You would be in awe of the person you are becoming.

peace out

Yes, yet another song

A song, for those of us (myself included!) who sometimes stress out more than necessary:

Beautiful thing:

faith

peace, baby

Readjust your lens

Sometimes what we think is super important

Really doesn't matter at all.

And sometimes what we think isn't a big deal,

Makes the difference between life and death.

Like little choices, added up.

It's time for me to readjust my lens, 

to see as God does.

Not as man.

beautiful thing:

truth

peace out.

lovin the quotes

“The Lord has determined in His heart that He will try us until He knows what He can do with us.

  He tried His Son Jesus….Before He came upon earth the Father had watched his course and knew that He could depend upon Him when the salvation of worlds should be at stake; and He was not disappointed.  

So in regard to ourselves.  He will try us, and continue to try us, in order that He may place us in the highest positions in life and put upon us the most sacred responsibilities.”

  

{Teachings of Lorenzo Snow}

beautiful thing Father:

God 

{and His complete understanding of us}

peace

a friend

we all want a friend 

who understands us completely, 

fully, 

and loves us 

unconditionally. 

and who is strong enough 

to understand what we're going through, 

but still lift us up, 

encourage us, 

and inspire us to be better.  

who we can 

confide 

everything 

in.

that's the Savior.

{peace}

Why we fear

[Disclaimer:  Most of what I post on this blog is not official LDS doctrine, as far as I know.  Just my thoughts and beliefs.]

Have you ever been afraid to come close to God?

Have you ever been afraid to really open your heart up to Him?

To truly be converted?

To commit all that you are, do, and desire, to Him?

To really feel His love, and accept it into your heart?

To believe Him, and trust His word?

If you've never felt that way... you're probably not human.  ;)  Or you're just a saint.

[no real reason for this picture, except that it's beautiful! :)]

It hit me the other day, why I'm sometimes afraid to come close to Christ.

I know He's all-loving.  I know He's true.  I know I can trust Him...

I found the answer in Ether 12:27: (these are the Lord's words:)

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness."

That's it.  

I know that when I come unto Him, He helps me see things as they really are.  ...Which necessarily includes seeing my weaknesses.  And aren't we humans so good at avoiding our faults/failures/weaknesses?

But the verse goes on:

"I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Don't I want to become stronger?

Don't I want to become more like Christ?

The only way that can happen is if I come unto Him and, through faith on His atonement, let Him turn my weaknesses into strengths, until every last impurity is refined into perfection... 

Slowly, but surely, with faith.

So I want to know my weaknesses.  

I want to know them so that I can do all that's in my power to improve on them, and let Christ take care of the rest.

I know that Jesus Christ lives.  He knows and loves each and every one of us, His children.  I know He has been through every little (and big) thing that we've ever been through, and will go through, and He knows how to succor His people.  

Come unto Him, despite any fears you may have, and you will never regret that decision.

{beautiful thing}

The infinite atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

peace out.

A Cry For Help

I came across this quote by Marvin J. Ashton from a speech he gave at BYU:

"What a wonderful situation it would be if we could with feeling and understanding know that God is there, the Church is there, friends are there, leaders and families are there to give us comfort, direction, and reassurance. 

Oh, that there were more people inclined when special situations arose to say to a classmate or an associate, 

'I need to be sure that you are there while I am going through this present trying situation.'"

...

Wow.

Why does this touch my heart so?

I think it's because, I know I struggle with that.

Talk about vulnerability.  And trust.

It's hard to imagine anything that can make you more vulnerable than humbling yourself enough to admit your helplessness and trust another person enough to actually ask for their support in your time of greatest weakness... instead of putting on a mask of strength, pretending you've got it all down because you're afraid that if anyone saw your knees shaking, they would lose respect for you.  Or worse, desert you.  Which would, to our confused minds, prove our worthlessness.

It's funny how God gave us all thorns in the flesh for the duration of this earth life.
Without them, without our trying situations, would we reach out to others like we necessarily do?
Would we humble ourselves enough to accept the aid of another?
Or give our support to another?

And that's why we have friends, family, teachers, churches, mentors, advisors--so we can learn to both ask for help, and give it of ourselves.
To ask with our whole hearts, and give with our whole hearts.

This brings us together as friends.
As families.
As humanity.

And it's beautiful,
and it's humbling,
 and it's peaceful.


Oh,
so peaceful.