Now the joy of (Tova) was so great even that (she) was full; yea, (she) was swallowed up in the joy of (her) God, even to the exhausting of (her) strength; ...
Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
When I searched "High School Crowd" this was the first image that was shown. How many people in this picture look like they aren't lonely?
I know that I have friends. I know that I have people who love me. So why do I sometimes feel lonely**?
What is it that makes you feel like you're all alone in a crowd of people? (**These thoughts don't apply to clinical depression. I'm not a doctor and can't give any advice on that besides to go and see a doctor who can help you find hope again.)
I believe that what we need isn't just people around us or even people chatting with us. Mother Theresa said, "The hunger for love is much harder to remove than the hunger for food."
When I'm feeling lonely, the questions I ask are, "Why doesn't anyone like me?" "Why doesn't anyone love me?"
I really enjoyed this video:
My mom also shared that she had been feeling lonely. In church, that week, our Bishop (the leader of our local congregation) stood up and shared that when we feel friendless we should befriend others. When we feel like no one cares we should go out a care for others. When we feel unloved we should give love to others.
Why would that make a difference? There are many reasons, but the one that stood out most to me was this; Heavenly Father is the person who loves us the most. He designed everything for our happiness. When we are serving others we are opening up the door of our hearts so that we can receive His great love.
I know that we can feel that love. He gives it freely and will always give it.
2 Nephi 4 is one of my favorite chapters about Nephi. Because in that chapter, it really seems like Nephi just opens up his soul and pours his heart out on the "paper" (it was plates of metal back then).
In chapter 3, his father Lehi dies. Soon after that his brothers and brothers-in-law plan to kill Nephi, his family, and his other supporters. His brothers are planning this!!
That is Nephi's life when chapter 4 begins. He just lost his dad, they're in a strange land, and his own brothers want him dead.
When the chapter starts Nephi cries unto God. But not about his trials. He begs God to take away his sins and his weaknesses. That's one thing I love about Nephi; when he is in a tough situation he's not afraid to tough it out.
One of my favorite quotes is this... "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power. Pray for power equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." (~Phillips Brooks)
Then Nephi says "19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."
After he's asked for forgiveness, God gives it to him. The rest of the chapter is a beautiful prayer of praise to God.
Nephi spends three verses lamenting his sins very sincerely, but then he spends fifteen verses praising the source of his redemption.
Then comes chapter 5, verse 2: But behold, (my brothers') anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.
Nothing changed! His dad was still dead, he was still in a new country, and his brothers were still trying to kill him!
But now he had peace. He had God on his side, and he knew it. He'd received forgiveness and felt God's love. And God had given him the strength to continue on.
Nick Vujicic is another inspirational man. Here is one of his messages:
I've been pondering the question this morning, and haven't found an answer yet.
You know that feeling when everything around you is loud and crazy and energetic? And you just want to escape? It may not be a stressful energy, but there's more than you can handle?
The way I've coped with that in the past is to close my eyes and imagine a bubble of quiet surrounding me and blocking out the noise. But that bubble doesn't bring me peace. It just disconnects me from everything and everyone around me.
If you have any thoughts or scriptures that you think could help me, please post them below. I could really use this help.
This week, I posted the scripture Helaman 5:47 on my wall.
"Peace, peace be unto you because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world."
Today in family scripture study, we read about Alma (senior) and his people living peacefully before the Lamanites came and captured them. Someone pointed out that Alma and his people were righteous and listened to the Lord whenever He commanded them to do something. On the other hand, King Limhi's people (the ones who stayed behind when Alma and his followers fled) were sketchy at best. But both groups were brought into bondage. The good guys and the not-so-good guys.
Why would following God's directions lead Alma's people into bondage?
When I think about the differences between these two groups, a few things stand out.
First of all, because each of these groups was brought into bondage they were motivated and given the opportunity to get back to Zarahemla to join the rest of the Nephites.
Secondly, while the people of Limhi were in captivity many of them died because of the many wars they fought. But the people of Alma were close to the Lord and knew the correct actions to take. When the people of Limhi were finally humbled and converted, they didn't have anyone with the authority to baptize them or receive revelation for them. But the people of Alma were almost all already baptized and close to God.
As we have a foundation of faith, I know we are able to find peace in our trials.
One of my dear, dear friends recently started a blog called "The Recovering Perfectionist." In it, she shares her story. She gave me permission to share it here:
A couple of years ago I began to worry about my appearance. I looked in the mirror and pointed out- and even made up- countless flaws. I compared myself to others and I became distressed. I’ve always had a perfectionistic nature, and I believed the countless lies around me that I was never enough. Little by little I become more obsessed with how I looked, and I saw food as something bad- and I thought that the less you had the better. The media was saying that carbs were bad, and fat foods were bad, and sugar was bad. And in my attempt to do everything perfectly, I started to count calories and restrict my intake. I didn’t realize that little by little I was leading myself deeper into a pit of destructive mental habits. Pretty soon food became my fear and my enemy. I became an unhealthy weight and my family was concerned. I was miserable. I felt trapped. False body perception wasn't the only thing that contributed to my eating disorder. I indulged in this false sense of control. But never were things more out of control. I couldn't go to activities with friends for fear that they would try to get me to eat certain things that weren't on my list of acceptable foods. If I didn't exercise one day I felt like a complete failure. My family began to notice that I would make excuses to skip family meals. Meanwhile these unhealthy habits took control over more and more portions of my life. My mom tried to tell me that she thought I had a problem, but I was in denial. "A mental disorder? No, not me- I was fine." I told myself. But deep inside I knew I wasn't fine. I was cold, dizzy, moody, sick and stressed out all the time. My hair was falling out in frighteningly big amounts.I was terrified. How had I immobilized myself in such a way? Finally, I admitted with devastation that I really did have a problem. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was the beginning of a new freedom in my life. My mom and I constructed a healthy meal plan and I stopped exercising to give myself a chance to recover. The road has been difficult, but so rewarding. I share my feelings with my mom, who is always gives me further light and knowledge. I also decided to visit with a counselor weekly, even though I was gaining weight and doing better, because I still was having some irrational fears and concerns. This really helps me to see what skills I can work on and how I can achieve better self confidence. I share my story as a message of hope. We can and will win this war. Whether it be a battle of depression, mental illness, addiction- or any other thought habit holding us back. These wars of the mind can be overcome.
Now you may think that to all of her friends this was obvious. She describes how she became unhealthily thin and was avoiding friend gatherings; but the truth is... I had no idea. The way I saw my dear friend was as a sweet, gorgeous, talented young woman and a wonderful friend. I had no clue that she was struggling with an eating disorder.
Please be aware of this epidemic. My friend has some great resources on her blog and there are other places out there where you can also get help, or where your friends can get help.
“Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. … God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there” ~Thomas S Monson
Oh my goodness. Talk about divine help. I just finished a long, exhausting day. Got onto my email, and what did I find? A list of more things to do :S.
Also in my email, I found this quote:
"My dear brothers and sisters, there will be days and nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down. Then, please remember, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. It is His gospel. He wants you to succeed. He gave His life for just this purpose. He is the Son of the living God. And He will help you.” —President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The very presence of the quote in my inbox was a manifestation of His awareness of me. I'm so grateful for the Holy Spirit and inspired leaders who are able to send us comfort and guidance.
Please send at least this video to anyone you know or feel may be suffering. Please know that people love you and are praying for you. I know that angels are looking down at you, and cheering you on. It may seem bleak and hopeless, but as you open your heart, God will pour light into your life, and you can make it out of your dark places.
I absolutely loved this post when I read it. It reminded me somewhat of a talk in Church today that a missionary gave. He said that we often think of the Atonement just being there when we need to repent (which it is). But it is also there whenever we're in pain, or going through something bad. It's there for every negative cricumstance we may encounter, and it will help us get through it.
I've noticed a lot of songs/stories about things that are broken.
Often, we see these things (trials, spilled milk, bad days) as bad things. But if we look at them with an eternal perspective, thinking about how it can help us throughout eternity, then most of those things turn into growing experiences for our good.
(Broken, by Kenneth Cope)
We are also broken with our imperfection. Elder Holland said "Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are
all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to
Him, but He deals with it. So should we."
Here is a story that I love that illustrates how God can use our weaknesses:
A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck.
One
of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and
always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk
from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only
half full.
For a full two years this went on daily,
with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her
master's house.
The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end
for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own
imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of
what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke
to the water bearer one day by the stream: "I am ashamed of myself, and
I want to apologize to you."
Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my
load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your mistress's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all
of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and
in her compassion she said, "As we return to the mistress's house, I
want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the
sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and
this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still
felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it
apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to
the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of
the path, but not on the other pot's side?
“That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of
it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while
we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
“For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my
mistress's table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not
have this beauty to grace her house."
Thankfully, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become whole, and be made anew.
Moroni 10:32 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him,
and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves
of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and
strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may
be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
This is a story that my friend sent me a few months ago. Since them, I have read it multiple times, but it still gives me thrills whenever I read it!
A few
years ago, a Japanese teenager lost his left arm in a car crash that killed
his mother. He was involved in a prestigious Martial Arts group at the
time. Shortly after the crash, the Sensei of this "Prestigious"
group dismissed him because of this injury. He was crushed, he had
loved his martial arts, now it seemed his career was over. His loving
father, seeing that he was depressed, found an old retired Sensei that
would be willing to teach him.
This Sensei taught the young man one move, and had him practice it
over, and over, and over. The young man questioned his father "Why is
it, that this old man has only taught me this one move? And why does he
insist on me learning it so well? I will never be great! I will never
show my potential if I never learn other moves!" His father told him,
that even though he was learning only this one move, he had a wise
master, who knew what he was doing. So, this young man continued to take
his martial arts from this old Sensei. A few months later, he asked the
Sensei "why
is it, that you have only taught me this one move? And why do you
insist on me learning it so well? I will never be great! I will never
show my potential if I never learn other moves!"
His
Sensei smiled. "Some things are not for us to know right now, or soon,
sometimes we must trust in the wisdom of those that have gone before us.
This move is all you will ever need." So,
he continued on with his training, always practicing his one move, and
hoping that his master was right. Soon the national martial
arts competition would come, and this young man found that his Sensei
had recommended him to the competition, and he had been accepted, he was
thrilled! Now was his chance to learn something else, surely his master
would agree, if he was going to compete, he would have to know
something else. He asked, his master responded "Trust, I know what is
best for you, This move is all you will ever need."
He continued to practice his move, trusting in his Sensei's wisdom. It
seemed impossible that he would ever gain the championship he had always
desired, with only one arm, and only one move, he felt that he could
not do it. The
competition came, he was placed in the ring, the buzzer sounded, and the
match was on, he waited, waiting for the moment he could use his move.
It came. he used his move, and had his opponent pinned, he had won his
first match of the championship, with one arm. He continued in
the competition, winning every time, with his one move, his move. It
came to the semi-finals, then to the finals. He asked his Sensei one
last time if he would teach him one last move, his Sensei responded. "This is the only move you will ever need" With
that he pushed the young man toward the ring. He stepped in, blood
pulsing though his stressed out veins. This was it, honor or disgrace.
The buzzer sounded. he could feel the bruises forming on his face and
body. He waited, and waited. Then the opening came! he pulled his move,
his opponent pinned. He, a one armed young man, had one the Championship
with one move. He asked his Sensei, "why is it that I could win with
only one arm? And that this move let me beat the best of the best in all
of Japan?" His Sensei chuckled, "The only way to stop that move, is to grab the left arm." I love this story! It illustrates so beautifully how God knows how we can get ahead and find true happiness. Even if it looks like He's pulling us back, or slowing us down. There was a quote I read a while ago that goes something like this: "You need to draw an arrow back in order to shoot it forward, so if you feel like God is holding you back, be brave! He's preparing to shoot you forward" CS Lewis gave another great analogy. Imagine
yourself living in a house. God comes to rebuild that house. At first,
perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains
right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew that those
jobs needed doing and so you were not surprised. But presently he starts
knocking the house about in a way that hurts and does not seem to make
sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building
quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new
wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up the towers,
making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent
little cottage; but he is building a palace.
Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their aweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them [emphasis added] I know that we can have strength and make it through hard times. Even if we don't find happiness until after death, we can at least feel peace in doing what's right, and then we will have eternity to live with God, and to feel His love for us. We will be able to look back and see the reason for everything that has happened to us. The method to our madness :). So we just need to trust in Him, and do our best. He will take care of the rest.
