There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today: EVERYDAY: April 2013

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

It Wasn't Really So

Jayci is my niece. Grandma Turner is her Grandma. When Jayci says my name, it lovingly comes out as "Ancha". Here's what Jayci said to me today:
"Look Ancha those are popcorn trees. But guess what? They are really flowers, not popcorn. Grandma Turner is going to be SO SAD (to find that out)"
How cute is that??????? Made me laugh. Cute Girl!!!!
This is on my spiritual blog because the innocence of children can teach us so much about faith. Also, I think that we can learn some things as we think about the fact that things aren't always as they appear. Finally, relishing in the blessing that little children are from our Heavenly Father is humbling, and makes me happy! That's all! :)

Why This Blog???

Some time ago in an LDS Sacrament Meeting, one of our youth speakers said something that changed my life. He said that a Seminary Teacher challenged them to commit to themselves that they would do something or participate in something that would allow them to feel the spirit EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! As I contemplated that challenge over the next several days, I came to realize the eternal value in such a practice. If we as individuals feel the spirit each and every day of our lives, it would be extremely difficult for our hearts to wander too far from our Savior Jesus Christ.

It was at this time that I made a commitment to myself to feel the spirit of our Heavenly Father around me EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! As I started becoming more aware, a personal miracle took place in my perspective and the way that I viewed experiences, people, and even things that were around me. I realized how much Heavenly Father really loves all of us. He cares about every detail in our lives, even down to the smallest and what some would consider to be insignificant experiences or objects surrounding us.

I began to treasure these daily spiritual experiences in my heart. I thought of journaling on these, but wanted a way to treasure these experiences in a way that would not be too cumbersome or overwhelming (I definately did not need one more thing to do in my already full and busy life). I received an answer to my dilemma in a talk by President Dieter F Uchtdorf (Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). In his talk from General Conference, April 2011, he made the following statement: "With so many social media resources and a multitude of more or less useful gadgets at our disposal, sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far reaching than ever before....My dear young friends, perhaps the Lord's encouragement to open your mouths might today include 'use your hands' to blog and text message the gospel to all the world"!

And so here Iam. I am hoping that maybe the little experiences that I treasure in my heart may help someone else out there feel the love the Savior has for them. If it is just me who reads, at least a treasure of my own experiences will be there for myself and future generations of my posterity.

My challenge will be to keep these posts short, simple, and to the point. I simply want a complete daily record of something (or someone) who has touched my spirit in such a way that I want to remember always. In recording such events, maybe (just maybe) someone else will also be touched by the spirit of our Savior Jesus Christ!!!

Spiritual Words for the Soul

-"If you will spend twenty minutes each day with the Savior of the world in private worship, you will spend eternity in his presence." (Stephen Covey)

-"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down, resisting the impulse to become offended easily, accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they ruly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim over time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others" (Pres. Thomas S Monson)

-"If you live up to these principles, how great and glorious will be your reward in the Celestial Kingdom. If you live up to your privilege, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates" (Joseph Smith)

-"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation rather a pathway.......(that) transforms the mundane into the majestic" (Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

-"If you will only allow his divine love into your life, it can dress any wound, heal any hurt, and soften any sorrow"

(Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

-"Mortal messengers with angelic messages. Men and women who have all the physical, financial, and family difficulties you and I have. But who, with faith have consecrated their lives to the callings that have come to them, and the duty to preach God's word, not their own" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

-"In the matters of discipleship, the church is not a fast food outlet. We can't always have it our way"

(Elder Jeffrey R Holland)

-"If we teach by the spirit, and you listen by the spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal little prophetic epistle just to you" (Elder Jeffrey R Holland)