He Only

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 62 vs. 6-8,  it reads:

             He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.  In God is my    salvation, and my refuge, is in God.  Trust in Him at all times ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

I love this scripture because it reminds me that I am never alone. Every struggle, trial, question, misunderstanding that I'm faced with I can find solace in the one person who is always there to battle through this life with me (but only if I allow Him too).  He allows us the freedom to choose whether or not we desire His help or the peace that only He can give us.  It's easy to get confused  and try to seek the solace we desire, from other sources in this world.  But with much avail, we wont find it in this world.  No one can or will understand what we need or how we feel better than our Savior does! He truly is a refuge for us all.

I speak from experience as there was a time in my life where I felt betrayed, misunderstood and very alone. I reached out to friends and family, read books, searched desperately for healing and peace and happiness. I wasn't getting the answers I wanted and was feeling more incomplete than I did before. I soon came to realize that I was looking in all the wrong places.  I found my answer in a simple song that we sang in church, titled Where Can I Turn for Peace (hymn #129):

 Where can I turn for peace?

Where is my solace

When other sources cease to make me whole?

When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,

I draw myself apart,

Searching my soul?

 Where, when my aching grows,

Where, when I languish,

Where, in my need to know, where can I run?

Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?

Who, who can understand?

He, only One.

 He answers privately,

Reaches my reaching

In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.

Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.

Constant he is and kind,

Love without end.

These words gave greater meaning to me in that moment and I even felt foolish for not turning to Him first. The one who knows my heart, desires, and intentions better than anyone and I thought of Him last. But He didn't dismiss me or ignore. In fact, the complete opposite happened when I took that first step of getting on my knees and opening up my heart to Him. I finally felt whole again, I don't know what other way to say it. It has taken a great amount of faith to find complete peace in my life and there are still so many things that I don't understand; but that's alight. I trust in Him now, completely! When I choose to give my will and my life to Him and have Him guide me through, that's when the pieces started to fit together. I've been able to use His atonement to not only repent of past mistakes, but to forgive others as well as heal from the pains caused by others as well.

"When with a wounded heart, ager, or malice.....Where is the quiet hand to calm my anquish? Who, who can understand? He, only one."

He is our Savior, our brother, our friend! And in some cases some may even say He is our 'hero'. Turn to Him and let Him heal, lift, and comfort you. I promise that He will! 

The Purpose of Trials

 

   

“Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. … Such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 87.

Your Wonderful Journey Home

"There will always be things to complain about—things that don’t seem to go quite right. You can spend your days feeling sad, alone, misunderstood, or unwanted. But that isn’t the journey you had hoped for, and it’s not the journey Heavenly Father sent you to take. Remember, you are truly a daughter of God!
With this in mind, I invite you to walk confidently and joyfully. Yes, the road has bumps and detours and even some hazards. But don’t focus on them. Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey. Happiness is the destination, but it’s also the path. “Peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” is what He promises (D&C 59:23). That is why He commands us to “be of good cheer” (D&C 78:18; see also John 16:33; 3 Nephi 1:13).
As you joyfully use the map your loving Father has provided for your journey, you will rise to your supernal potential. You will grow into the daughter of God you hoped you would become." -Dieter F Uchtdorf

Make it happen

Whatever obstacle may stand in your way,

             Whatever fears you may have,

                      Whatever excuses you make;

                                     Just remember that only

                                        YOU CAN

             MAKE IT HAPPEN!

                                               Don't give up...

Letting go

Whether we lose someone through death or betrayal, it's best to remember the good we once knew about them and let the rest go. Even if it means they can't be a part of your life anymore. Sometimes letting them go is better than letting them keep dragging you down. Also, seeing and remembering the good in others could help us acheive our goals.

Be Happy

You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities. ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm Thankful for...

I know a while ago I tried to start a weekly challenge, and perhaps I'll get back to that :)  The thing is, I did them, but forgot to post them here.  I got my family involved as well and now at the dinner table we started to ask the kids if they had an opportunity to serve someone today.  They even came up with the idea to write each other's names on a popsicle stick; picking one each day and serving whom they have picked.  For  myself, on top of looking for service opportunities, I decided I would start a 'what I am thankful for' journal.  Each day  before going to bed I add something that I am thankful for from that day.  I challenge each of you to find time for yourself to serve others and give thanks for the many blessings you are given each day!

Ask yourself..

“Ask yourself, 'How did God bless me today?' If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life.” –Henry B. Eyring

He Only

He only is my rock and my salvation.
He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
In God is my strength and my glory.
He is a refuge for us. -unknown