Patterns of Light: The Light of Christ

Looking through rose colored glasses.

There was a time not that long ago where I was convinced that many of my fellow Saints weren't looking at life, themselves and others through the clear glasses that adorn my face. They were quick to find spiritual references, exercise faith in the face of hardship and ever bold enough to tell me that perhaps there were more I could do. Rose. Colored. Glasses. I have anxiety. Debilitating anxiety. They have no idea what it's like to be me each day. To have that pit in your stomach and the knot in your chest from the minute your feet hit the ground. To be watching TV with your family and have a particular show come on. One that everyone else seems to be entertained by but that just undid any progress I had made at steeling my emotions and pretending to be "normal". No way, I do not need to gain control over my mind. I am in control. They are out of touch. Rose. Colored. Glasses. Fast forward 7 months. 7 long and painful months. 7 months of change. 7 humbling months in which the Lord used his tools and his angels to teach me and soften my heart. 7 months in which I learned that those indeed are rose colored glasses. They are the glasses of hope and love. Those rose colored glasses allow them the ability to see other's as Christ does and to serve tirelessly the ungrateful like myself. DC 88:67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. I learned that I have been dismissing behaviors to my anxiety. I allowed the adversary to convince me that I wasn't capable of more. That the illness is what it is and that I was broken beyond repair. I allowed myself to give up on the light and to succumb to the darkness. It wasn't until the challenge came to gain control of my mind that I began to see the flicker of the flame within me. I realized where that light comes from. I had dulled its capabilities by allowing Satan to convince me that there was no way to overcome that dark corner of myself. That flicker was the Light of Christ within me. It has been a humbling and wonderful experience to fuel my flames and to fill myself with that light. To over power any darkness. It was in part thanks to my desire to share that light with others that Divine Energy was born. The light of Christ is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives light and life to everything and might I add, everyone. Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. My power over the adversary and his influence on my mind comes from faith. Faith in the light that fills my soul. Faith that as I fuel the flames of goodness within my body that the light will grow and the darkness will dissipate and my body truly will be "filled with light" which is the light of Christ. "Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ is truly the "high priest of good things to come." As we care for the flicker of light within us we are given greater faith and control over our minds. As we exercise that faith our light grows and our opportunity to light the way for others increases. There truly will be no room for darkness.

Beyond The Veil - Lindsey Stirling (Original Song)

Weak things become strong...

The local leaders of my church have encouraged members to set goals. One of those goals is to "make our homes a refuge from the storm." There are times that I find myself hoping that our little piece of paradise will withstand the winds of the world. We are far from perfect in terms of doing some of the worldly wind sustaining things sometimes. I am often not as practical as I should be with finances or time. I'm sure I check out local Facebook yard sale sites more than I should. Thankfully we have the opportunity to grow and learn and become more like our Savior every day. The expectation of perfect only comes from those who are viewing others or themselves with worldly expectations. Our Heavenly Father never commanded that we have a particular BMI or only wear a particular brand. He thankfully didn't command us to all to be yuppies! I certainly would fail at that one.I am pretty sure I can't even spell Gucci or Prada (did I get those right?) and I've never had a frappe loppe moca cocoa anything to drink. I like layers and long sleeves, camouflage and black, Mt. Dew and any casserole sent my way. Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. 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. Thankfully he expects us in all our imperfectness to come to him. He knows we are full of unmet expectations guilty of burnt dinners, raised voices, tears of disappointment, hurt feelings, financial strains, extra pounds, Walmart brand clothes and wearing Cowboy boots and gym shorts. Aside from our Redneck fashion choices, it's our faith that will give us strength. Through faith in our Savior and his atonement, faith in his infinite wisdom, faith in his plan, we will be able to see our weaknesses much less as imperfections and more as opportunities. "Weak things become strong" Tomorrow morning I'll be putting sassy mouthed, high BMI body in my Walmart bought black dress and taking all my imperfectness to church. Where thankfully I will get the opportunity to learn more of how through my faith in my Savior I can overcome the disappointments and unmet expectations and begin to see myself and others as my Heavenly Father does. I'll learn of the purposes behind being broken and the blessings that come from humbling ourselves and committing to finding ways to serve others. I'll start again at setting aside time for myself to read, study and pray. I'll plan activities and time to be with my family and to eliminate the "noise" of the world by doing things together that will help us to see the love that Chris has for us and for each of God'd children. I'll use all of the humbling experiences as proof of my Heavenly Father's trust in me. I will use my weakness, strengthen my faith and become STRONG!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you're happy and you know it then your life will surely show it if you're happy and you know it clap your hands. I read a quote this morning by Viktor Frankl. He was a psychiatrist who survived the holocaust. He wrote, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." I love his perspective. I wish I had his resolve. I will say that my glass is usually half full. I often wonder who drank the other half and once in awhile I wonder who's gonna pay for my next Diet Coke. There's an old Chinese saying that says,"Half and orange tastes just as sweet as a whole one." Perspective is such a crazy thing to me. It's incredibly how the adversary can control so much of our lives simply through his influence on our perspective of things. I came across a quote this morning during my studies by Elder Vern Stanfill, "No matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we allow it to influence us. We must remember how much our Heavenly Father and His Son love us." Today I am choosing sun. I've been in the darkness, I've lived through the partly cloudy. Those days may come again, I may lose perspective. That's what makes me human. Today I am choosing to enjoy the happiness that Heavenly Father intended for me. I will control my thoughts and my actions and I will bask in the warmth and goodness that this life has to offer. Today, I will press forward! Press forward through the doubts and sadness, press forward through the temptations and whatever obstacles are in my path. I am choosing my own way. I am choosing to believe that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. Cherished, loved and adored! It's my hope and prayer for those of you reading this that you will feel strengthened and empowered to do the same. We can choose happy!

Faith Enough

"May we have enough faith to accept the goodness of God and the mercy of his Only Begotten Son. May we come unto him and his gospel and be healed. And may we do more to heal others in the process. When the storms of life make this difficult, may we still follow his bidding to “come,” keeping our eye fixed on him forever and single to his glory. In doing so we too will walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of life’s difficulties and remain unterrified amid any rising winds of despair. I pray we will hear this very night that sweet utterance from the Savior of the world: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. . . . And ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29). “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27). I pray this for you and for those you can help, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

HAPPY

If you're happy and you know it then your life will surely show it if you're happy and you know it clap your hands. I read a quote this morning by Viktor Frankl. He was a psychiatrist who survived the holocaust. He wrote, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." I love his perspective. I wish I had his resolve. I will say that my glass is usually half full. I often wonder who drank the other half and once in awhile I wonder who's gonna pay for my next Diet Coke. There's an old Chinese saying that says,"Half and orange tastes just as sweet as a whole one."



Perspective is such a crazy thing to me. It's incredibly how the adversary can control so much of our lives simply through his influence on our perspective of things. I came across a quote this morning during my studies by Elder Vern Stanfill, "No matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we allow it to influence us. We must remember how much our Heavenly Father and His Son love us."



Today I am choosing sun. I've been in the darkness, I've lived through the partly cloudy. Those days may come again, I may lose perspective. That's what makes me human. Today I am choosing to enjoy the happiness that Heavenly Father intended for me. I will control my thoughts and my actions and I will bask in the warmth and goodness that this life has to offer. Today, I will press forward! Press forward through the doubts and sadness, press forward through the temptations and whatever obstacles are in my path. I am choosing my own way. I am choosing to believe that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. Cherished, loved and adored!



It's my hope and prayer for those of you reading this that you will feel strengthened and empowered to do the same. We can choose happy!