I believe we still need Him

Heb. 13: 8.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

In Hebrews it proclaims that Christ is the same and unchanging. I know that He is the most solid and reliable thing I can count on. No matter how much my husband, parents, family and friends love me there is always the chance that they may chose not to love me, but my Savior is unmoveable and somebody that will always be there for me. I believe that we need him just as much today as the people of ancient times and I believe that he has provided a way that we can one day return to our Father in Heaven. I know that He has given us prophets on the earth today because we still need direction. We still need revelation that is applicable for today. The world is in a state that we need to have instructions and reassurances from His servants.

Listening to General Conference and to the video below are reminders to me that the Savior loves us today!

Lifting Burdens

Lifting Burdens

I know that Christ loves us so much and has Atoned for our sins and can lift our burdens. Please watch this youtube video.

It has been a long time

I haven't posted for a while but I have had many occassions where something strikes me a true and faith promoting but I then forget to post about it. This week I had a discussion with two coworkers about religion. It made me think about the fact that only through the infinite and eternal Atonement can we be reunited with our Father in Heaven and obtain exaltation.
These aren't exact quotes but this is the gist of part of our conversation.

Coworker #1 One thing that really bothers me is thinking that there could be a murderer or rapist that would be able to claim that they are "saved" when they are in jail and think that they would one day being sitting in Heaven next to somebody who has been good their whole lives.

Coworker #2: Well that is the beauty of it and that is what shows Christ's power. His ability to save anyone regardless of what they have done.

I am so thankful for the power of the Atonement and that Christ truely can and will save all of his children, but I believe the caveat is that we have to be willing to accept it. We have to come unto him and be truley repentant. Christ has the ability to make us all clean, but we are required to go through the repentance process. It requires more than simply saying, "I'm saved." I requires a change in heart. I think the questions in Alma ask it perfectly: And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? And just because He can help us does not mean that it will be painless and easy. He will require sacrifice and change on our part.

Pride

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:21



Last night I went to a church meeting and I was struck by the importance of not being prideful. One of the things that was said was, we should have God be our number one focus, then our fellow man and THEN ourselves. It is so simple and so perfect. It is something I will be working on.

Chances

I work at a doctor's office as a PA and I often have patients that I follow for chronic illnesses. I have one patient (who I really like a lot) that has hypertension and high cholesterol. He is very overweight and he smokes. The first time I saw him he had been off his meds for a few months and he promised me that he was changing his life. He said he was going to quit smoking, start eating right, exercising, taking his medications and come in for his appointments. I was excited for him. I wrote his prescriptions and we came up with game plans for helping him exercise and quit smoking. I told him to come back in 3 weeks for a medcheck and fasting blood work. Well, 2 months later he comes back in and is out of his meds (blood pressure was through the roof), he has gained 5 lbs and it still smoking. Again, he said this time will be it. I am going to do it this time. I was excited, but this time worried and not as trusting.

I have thought a lot about this gentleman and myself. I think in many ways I am like him coming to my Heavenly Father and asking again for another chance to change myself. I come in prayer, sometimes later than I should and say "I know I promised to get my priorities straight and I know I promised that I would do a better job of reading my scriptures and I know I promised to always say kind words to others and I know I promised I would look for opportunities to share the gospel and I know I promised to make sure I only enjoy wholesome entertainment, but I haven't done all that I could have and Heavenly Father I am sorry. This time will be different. This time I will do better." Sometimes as I am promising this I wonder: Does He still believe me? Has He given up on me and my promises to do better? But in heart I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are constantly waiting with open arms. They are willing to forgive us and give us chance after chance. We just have to keep trying and keep working to be better and they will always be there for us. I am grateful for second, third, fourth etc. chances for me to try to be better. I am thankful for Christ's atonement and that he doesn't give up on me.

I love to see the Temple

Last week I got to teach the kids about the temple. I was so excited to be able to tell them about the feeling I have when I am in the temple and hear about their experiences with the temple. I asked all the kids and teachers to share a temple experience and one of my teachers summed up one of my feelings about the temple. She said, "I love going to the temple because every time I go I feel like royalty. I feel like royalty in my Heavenly Father's house because I am his child and He loves me." I really loved that explanation. I love going to the house of the Lord and feeling His love and feeling the Spirit. I am grateful that Heavenly Father provides a place apart from the world where we can worship and enjoy peace and quiet.

Joseph in Prison

I recently read in the old testament the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt. I was thinking about trials. Joseph was first sold into Egypt by his brothers and then put in prison. In the end those things both proved to be a blessing because then he was at the right place, at the right time to interpret the Pharaoh's dream. He was then able to begin storing food for the famine which ultimately protected his family from starvation. Sometimes we have trials that we have to wade through in order to see that Heavenly Father was doing it for our gain. When Rich and I were applying to school we were praying and fasting that we would both get into school in the same area. Well that didn't happen and we were so frustrated. I wondered why we weren't given the blessing that we had prayed so hard for. We came out for me to go to school and Rich found a job. School was very difficult and time intensive for me my first year. Rich decided to apply again the next year and he was admitted. I realized that it truly was a blessing that he didn't get in the first year because I needed him to be living with me (if he had been admitted we would have been living two hours away from each other) and I needed that support and it would have been really difficult to study the way I needed to and commute to see him. Then the next year, when I was traveling and most of my rotations were in Richmond I realized again how blessed we were, because Heavenly Father sees that big picture when often times we can't see it. I am so thankful that I have a loving Heavenly Father who only gives us trials that will be for our benefit. While in the trial it can be difficult to understand and see that, but I know that it is true.